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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
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Results for intervention programs
48 results foundAuthor: Hodgkinson, James Title: Reducing Gang Related Crime: A Systematic Review of 'Comprehensive' Interventions Summary: What do we want to know? The specific aims of this systematic review were as follows: - to produce a systematic map describing the range of research on interventions implemented in response to gang related crime and anti-social behaviour - to carry out an in-depth review focusing on a specific sub-group of 'comprehensive' interventions to assess the effectiveness of this type of intervention - to explore which 'mechanisms of change' might be important to underpin the practice of effective comprehensive interventions - to make recommendations for policy and practice, based on these findings After the initial mapping stage, the decision was taken to focus on the following in-depth review question: Are comprehensive interventions more effective at reducing gang related criminal activity and anti-social behaviour than usual service provision? ('Comprehensive' refers to multi-faceted approaches encompassing more than one distinct type of intervention.) In answering this question, the review also explored whether some types of comprehensive interventions were more effective than others. Why do we want to know? Gang-related crime and anti-social behaviour continue to be issues of concern at both a national and local level. The majority of available research concentrates on explanations of risk factors, gang definitions and sociological explanations of gang behaviour. In short, it does not focus on the effectiveness of specific approaches or interventions which are designed to impact on gang-related crime. This systematic review was undertaken in order to respond to a need for evidence for developing interventions in areas experiencing problems concerning gang-related criminal activity. The review focuses on assessing the effectiveness of interventions so that recommendations can be made around replication and implementation. What did we find? The in-depth review focused on studies that: - evaluated comprehensive interventions - included gang members - contained some element of evaluation and scored at least 3 on the Maryland Scale of Scientific Methods - reported crime reduction outcomes - provided data necessary for statistical synthesis The synthesis found that, overall, the comprehensive interventions had a positive, but not statistically significant, effect on reducing crime outcomes compared with usual service provision (i.e. whatever was in place either in a comparison area or before the specific intervention). The review identified a number of mechanisms of change which were present in those interventions associated with positive outcomes. In the higher quality studies with positive effects, the comprehensive interventions included one or more of the following mechanisms of change: case management / provision of a personalised holistic approach - community involvement in the planning of interventions - community involvement in the delivery of interventions - expertise shared between agencies - delivery of incentives to change offending behaviour, as part of a wider comprehensive intervention approach It is not clear whether only one of these mechanisms of change is the effective one, or if more than one of these mechanisms is needed to produce the desired outcome (and in which combination). In addition, the evidence does not suggest that the actual number of components in a comprehensive intervention is associated with effect size. These are issues that warrant further investigation in the evaluation of new comprehensive interventions What are the implications? While the evidence does not allow us to justify a policy recommendation to use, or not use, comprehensive interventions to tackle gang-related criminal activity, the review has identified a small positive effect for comprehensive interventions. All the interventions evaluated in the studies included in this review took place in the United States and it is therefore not possible to be sure of their transferability into a UK context. Comprehensive interventions warrant further rigorous evaluation in a UK context and policy should support the use of such interventions in the context of a rigorous evaluation. The future design of comprehensive interventions in the UK context should also allow further investigation of those mechanisms of change, which the review suggests are important in successful comprehensive interventions. How did we get these results? In order to ensure that the review is relevant to policy and practice, it has been informed by a range of users that have an interest in the results, including practitioners, policymakers and academics. The views of the user group informed both the scope and direction of the review. A thorough search strategy was developed and all the main social science databases were searched, in addition to handsearching of bibliographies and searches of grey literature. This systematic search processes identified studies which: - were linked to gang-related crime or anti-social behaviour - focused on an intervention - reported outcomes that were specifically related to reducing or preventing gang-related antisocial or criminal behaviour The characteristics of studies meeting the inclusion criteria defined above were mapped in order to refine the research question for the in-depth review. The in-depth review then focused on 'comprehensive' interventions (multifaceted approaches encompassing more than one type of intervention), and studies describing this type of approach were subject to data-extraction and quality appraisal, using the Maryland Scale of Scientific Methods. Narrative and statistical synthesis of the included studies was undertaken, focusing firstly on the intervention type and then on the different outcome measures in the studies. Details: London: EPPI-Centre, 2003. 155p. Source: Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London Year: 2003 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Portals/0/PDF%20reviews%20and%20summaries/Gang%20Violence%20TRWEB.pdf?ver=2009-08-11-150732-780 Shelf Number: 116653 Keywords: Anti-Social BehaviorGangsIntervention Programs |
Author: Texas. Office of the Attorney General Title: Gangs in Texas 2001: An Overview Summary: This report presents the findings of a small survey of 1,453 police chiefs, school district police departments, sheriffs, district attorneys, criminal district attorneys, and county attorneys regarding the current status of gangs in Texas in the year 2001. Respondents indicated that curfew enforcement, community policing, graffiti abatement, and multi-agency collaboration prove the most effective gang-prevention and intervention strategies. Details: Texas: Office of the Attorney General, 2001 Source: Year: 2001 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 116381 Keywords: GangsIntervention Programs |
Author: Perry, Amanda E. Title: A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the Evidence on the Effectiveness of Interventions with Persistent/Prolific Offenders in Reducing Re-Offending Summary: Persistent and prolific offenders are of great concern to any government of the disproportionate amount of crime they account for, but little is known about which interventions are effective in reducing offender behavior. A Rapid Evidence Assessment was conducted to systematically review the UK and international literature to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for persistent and prolific offenders in reducing re-offending behavior. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2009 Source: Ministry of Justice Research Series 12/09 Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 115648 Keywords: Intervention ProgramsRepeat Offenders |
Author: Rosenberg, Ruth Title: Domestic Violence in Europe and Eurasia Summary: The objective of this assessment is review domestic violence in USAID countries in the Europe and Eurasia region in order to describe the extent to which domestic violence is a problem in each country, with a focus on presenting available quantitative and statistical information; describe the services and support available for victims of domestic violence in each country; and make recommendations regarding the countries where intervention is most needed and the kinds of programming that USAID could undertake. Details: Washington, DC: United States Agency for International Development, 2006 Source: Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 115783 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceIntervention Programs |
Author: Griffiths, Curt T. Title: The Social Reintegration of Offenders and Crime Prevention Summary: Comprehensive crime prevention programs should include effective measures to prevent recidivism and to stop the cycle of failed adaptation by repeat offenders. According to the authors, a key feature of successful crime prevention strategies is their attention to the social reintegration of ex-prisoners to the community and the development of interventions designed to reduce the levels of recidivism. This text offers an overview of current practices and was prepared to set out some of the primary lessons that can inspire and guide practitioners in designing measures and strategies that are adapted to their circumstances. The overview concludes with a number of practical considerations that should be considered in planning future interventions. Details: Ottawa: National Crime Prevention Centre, 2007 Source: A review prepared for the Policy, Research and Evaluation Division; Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada Year: 2007 Country: Canada URL: Shelf Number: 114878 Keywords: Crime PreventionIntervention ProgramsRecidivismRepeat Offenders |
Author: Brand, Anthony Title: Gangs at the Grassroots: Community Solutions to Street Violence Summary: This research focuses on violent and criminal gangs rather than broadly defined anti-social behavior or youth crime. It looks primarily at how to maximize the impact of local interventions that target people involved in or on the fringes of gangs. It highlights how top-down responses and crack-downs on youth crime can do little to address the underlying drivers of gangs and their criminality. It suggests that local, multi-agency frameworks are key to addressing gang violence, and effective solutions must simultaneously deliver a range of interventions across education, health, policing, youth-work, community engagement, economic development, regeneration, skills and training and family support, all tailored to the specific communities and context in which different gangs operate. Details: London: New Local Government Network, 2008. 36p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 118781 Keywords: Gangs (U.K.)Inter-Agency CooperationIntervention ProgramsYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Hill, Patrick L. Title: Decreasing Delinquency, Criminal Behavior, and Recidivism by Interventing on Psychological Factors other than Cognitive Ability: A Review of the Intervention Literature Summary: Research on the causes of delinquency has a long research history, often with an undue focus on how cognitive ability serves as the main predictor of delinquent activity. The current review examines interventions that focus on psychological factors other than cognitive ability, and discusses how several of these programs have demonstrated efficacy in reducing delinquent behavior. Our review uncovers certain themes shared by a number of effective interventions. First, these interventions tend to emphasize rigorous and consistent implementation. Second, effective interventions often incorporate the family environment. Third, several effective interventions have focused on promoting adaptive social skills. In conclusion, our review discusses the possibility that these interventions have proven efficacious in part because they promote adaptive personality trait development. Details: Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2011. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: NBER Working Paper Series, Working Paper 16698: Accessed February 3, 2011 at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w16698.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w16698.pdf Shelf Number: 120685 Keywords: Criminal Behavior (Juveniles)Criminal PsychologyIntervention ProgramsJuvenile DelinquencyRecidivism, Juvenile Offenders |
Author: MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership Title: Mentoring: A Promising Intervention for Children of Prisoners Summary: Incarceration rates have increased substantially in the United States over the past several decades (Travis et al., 2001; U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs). As crime rates spiked in this country in the 1980’s, so did the call for more punitive and accountability-based approaches to stem the rising tide of crime. While the debate continues as to the wisdom of the policies that resulted from this crackdown on crime, including the jailing of more drug and other non-violent offenders and longer sentences for violent offenders, there seems to be little controversy over the fact that this trend has caused what one could term “collateral damage.” This damage isn’t to the offenders, victims, or the communities from which the offenders enter local jails or state correctional facilities and federal prisons; although one could argue that the damage resides there as well. The damage is to the children of those offenders, negatively impacted by the incarceration of their parents. It is a group—that, along with their families, has been described as more at-risk than any other subculture in this country (Travis et al., 2001). To better understand children of prisoners, it is necessary to understand the scope of this problem, the life circumstances facing the children and their parents at the time of incarceration, the impact of the incarceration on the children from a developmental perspective, and the potential benefit different types of interventions may provide. This paper explores these issues and the specific benefit mentoring may provide as an intervention. Details: Alexandria, VA: MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, 2007. 32p. Source: Issue 10, Research in Action: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2012 at http://www.mentoring.org/downloads/mentoring_391.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.mentoring.org/downloads/mentoring_391.pdf Shelf Number: 124011 Keywords: Children of Prisoners (U.S.)Intervention ProgramsMentoring |
Author: Garringer, Michael Title: "It May Be the Missing Piece" - Exploring the Mentoring of Youth in Systems of Care Summary: As youth mentoring has grown in popularity over the past two decades, the field has consistently faced a dilemma: wanting to expand mentoring into new service areas and bring support to increasingly highrisk youth, while potentially struggling to find sufficient resources and relevant research to guide this expansion. Early mentoring proponent Mark Freedman called this dilemma “fervor without infrastructure” in his seminal 1993 book The Kindness of Strangers, and in many ways, his past concern for mentoring’s future has been realized in its present. The high-quality research of the 1990s and early 2000s by organizations like Public/Private Ventures, and researchers such as David DuBois and Jean Grossman, demonstrated the convincing effectiveness of certain mentoring models while also creating new curiosity as to how mentoring could be used to support different populations or be fused with other youth services. The apparent combination of effectiveness and flexibility of mentoring interventions has created an environment where mentoring is viewed as a “go to” strategy for many serious issues facing disadvantaged youth. As a result, recent years have seen substantial funding, both public and private, directed to programs serving higher-risk youth: children of incarcerated parents, gang-involved youth, homeless youth, youth who have suffered abuse and trauma, teenagers in juvenile detention, children and adolescents with disabilities, and most recently, youth who have been victims of sex trafficking. While this expansion of mentoring has increased support for young people, many in the field note that the research on these innovative models tends to be sparse. Mentoring is being applied to more difficult youth issues, but there continues to be a shortage of research around best practices for developing, implementing, and sustaining mentoring programs that serve youth involved in various systems of care. Just how much do we know about mentoring “system-involved” youth? What can we learn from current research? And what remains unknown or unconsidered by researchers, practitioners, and policymakers? These questions provided the backdrop for the 2011 Summer Institute on Youth Mentoring (SIYM), where over 50 mentoring researchers, practitioners, service providers, and policymakers gathered to discuss the issues related to mentoring youth in the child welfare, juvenile justice, and other systems. The weeklong event at Portland State University featured presentations from innovative researchers and clinicians, as well as intense discussion about the implications for practice. This year’s proceedings also featured two new events hosted by the Center for Interdisciplinary Mentoring Research (CIMR) and designed to engage the broader youth-serving community: The Summer Symposium on Mentoring Research (see page 20), which brought a dozen prominent researchers together for a series of short presentations, and a Policy Summit (page 21), which fostered a dialogue on these issues with government leaders, private philanthropists, foundations, and others in position to influence the future direction of the mentoring field. Details: Portland, OR: Portland State University, 2011. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2012 at http://www.pdx.edu/youth-mentoring/sites/www.pdx.edu.youth-mentoring/files/It%20May%20Be%20the%20Missing%20Piece.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.pdx.edu/youth-mentoring/sites/www.pdx.edu.youth-mentoring/files/It%20May%20Be%20the%20Missing%20Piece.pdf Shelf Number: 124013 Keywords: At-risk YouthIntervention ProgramsMentoring |
Author: Lambie, Ian Title: An Outcome Evaluation of New Zealand Fire Service Fire Awareness and Intervention Programme Summary: The purpose of the current study was to assess the post intervention arson recidivism rates and other offending behaviours of a group of children and adolescents referred to the New Zealand (NZ) Fire Awareness and Intervention Programme (FAIP) over an approximate follow up period of 10 years. Based on the findings and in light of current literature the report aims to provide key recommendations for the FAIP. (This research was done in two-parts. Please see report # 97: ‘Sparking up an Old Flame: A Process Evaluation of the Fire Awareness and Intervention Programme (FAIP) in New Zealand’ for the other outcome on this piece of work.) Details: Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Fire Service Commission, 2009. 69p. Source: New Zealand Fire Service Commission Research Report Number 98: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2012 at http://www.fire.org.nz/Research/Current-Round/Documents/An%20Outcome%20Evaluation%20of%20NZ%20Fire%20Service%20FAIP%20-%20recidivism%20rate%20part.pdf Year: 2009 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.fire.org.nz/Research/Current-Round/Documents/An%20Outcome%20Evaluation%20of%20NZ%20Fire%20Service%20FAIP%20-%20recidivism%20rate%20part.pdf Shelf Number: 124183 Keywords: Arson (New Zealand)Evaluative StudiesIntervention Programs |
Author: Wolf, Angela M. Title: Operating and Managing Street Outreach Services Summary: Increasingly, cities have added street outreach to the mix of strategies used in comprehensive gang reduction efforts, drawing upon mounting evidence of impact. Street outreach relies on street workers to support and advocate on behalf of gang members, or those at high risk of joining gang, to change behavior patterns and link them to needed services and institutions. Street outreach workers work day and night to link marginalized and hard-to-serve individuals in communities with high levels of gang activity to social services, and play an important role in diffusing and stopping violence (Decker, Bynum, McDevitt, Farrell, & Varano, 2008; Spergel, 1966; Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention [OJJDP], 2002). These workers reach out to targeted community members at their homes, community events, on street corners, in parks, and in any neighborhood spaces where community members in gangs or at risk of joining gangs spend time (OJJDP, 2002, p. 54). Outreach workers often possess intimate familiarity with the communities in which they work. Their knowledge and skills allow them to work with individuals whom traditional service providers cannot access or support. California Cities Gang Prevention Network cities (the Network or CCGPN) note that street outreach services are an important piece of their cities’ primary intervention strategies, with ties to prevention and enforcement. Cities such as Stockton provide prevention-oriented outreach to clients at risk of gang involvement. Other Network cities, including San Francisco, follow the Chicago CeaseFire model—a violence reduction model that treats violence as a learned behavior that can be prevented using disease control methods. The Chicago Ceasefire approach directs outreach workers to prevent retaliation and intervene in conflicts to prevent escalation to violence. Like Network cities, High Point, North Carolina, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, use outreach services as a promising component of their cities’ crime prevention and intervention strategies. As a collaborative, community-based approach aiming to combat open-air drug markets, the High Point initiative employs outreach services to establish relationships and provide services to lowlevel street drug dealers and their families (Bass, 2009; Kennedy, 2007; Schoofs, 2008). Similarly, in Rio de Janeiro, outreach workers work closely with street children involved with the drug trade to provide them with housing and services, and to stifle gang activity (Sauma, 2008). and sustaining outreach programs. In particular, they find it challenging to operate and manage outreach services. Operating an outreach program can include dealing with a variety of dangers. Without weapons or bulletproof vests, outreach workers insert themselves into dangerous and violent situations to prevent or stop violence; they risk and sometimes become the targets of gang violence (Bass, 2008; Decker, 2011; Fenton, 2009). Operating an outreach program also involves securing and maintaining healthy relationships with law enforcement and communities. For outreach workers to perform their duties, law enforcement must be supportive and knowledgeable about the role and function of outreach workers. They must also be comfortable working with outreach workers with criminal records, in addition to not pressuring outreach workers to serve as an extension of law enforcement. If law enforcement and outreach programs do not mutually trust each other, it can reduce an outreach organization’s credibility among the community it serves and, consequently, its ability to reduce violence (Bass, 2009). A common fear among Network cities is outreach workers being arrested or misrepresenting their outreach organization. Such incidents could create negative credibility for cities and outreach organizations among important partners like the police department, the community, and clients. Maintaining a fully staffed outreach program is a longstanding challenge. Outreach work is inevitably stressful because it exposes outreach workers to dangerous and traumatic events. Because of the risky and stressful nature of outreach work, many outreach workers leave the profession after only a few years. Consequentially, outreach programs must make every effort to support and sustain current workers, and at the same time prepare to hire and train new outreach workers. This bulletin briefly explores the different types of outreach services that currently exist. Additionally, with examples from Network cities such as Richmond, San Francisco, and Oakland, as well as from outreach programs in High Point, North Carolina; Boston, Massachusetts; and Chicago, Illinois, this bulletin identifies ways outreach programs can strategically support, care for, and hire outreach workers as a way of managing the challenges of implementing an outreach program. Details: Oakland, CA: National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 2011. 7p. Source: The California Cities Gange Prevention Network: Bulletin 22: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2012 at http://www.ccgpn.org/Publications/CA%20Cities%20Bulletin%2022.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.ccgpn.org/Publications/CA%20Cities%20Bulletin%2022.pdf Shelf Number: 124193 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsGangs (California)Intervention ProgramsVolunteers |
Author: Wolf, Angela Title: It's About Time: Prevention and Intervention Services for Gang-Affiliated Girls Summary: Although a substantial number of girls are involved with gangs, gang prevention and intervention services are not designed with girls in mind. As Kevin Grant, a service provider working with girls in gangs, notes, "A lot of the [gang prevention and intervention] programs that are available do not fully support the needs of girls in gangs." Girls in gangs require services that respond to their unique experiences and needs. This NCCD Focus highlights the vulnerabilities and consequences of gang involvement for girls, the service needs of girls in gangs and girls at risk of joining gangs, as well as the importance of addressing these service needs as a critical gang violence-prevention strategy. It also provides examples of how various programs are currently addressing the gender-specific needs of girls involved in gangs. Details: Oakland, CA: National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD), 2012. 8p. Source: NCCD FOCUS Paper: Internet Resource: Accessed March 4, 2012 at http://nccd-crc.issuelab.org/sd_clicks/download2/its_about_time_prevention_and_intervention_services_for_gang_affiliated_girls Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://nccd-crc.issuelab.org/sd_clicks/download2/its_about_time_prevention_and_intervention_services_for_gang_affiliated_girls Shelf Number: 124377 Keywords: Crime PreventionFemale Juvenile OffendersIntervention ProgramsYouth Gangs |
Author: Birdsey, Emma M. Title: The Domestic Violence Intervention Court Model: A follow-up study Summary: The primary aim of the current study is to examine whether domestic violence police and court outcomes have hanged since the commencement of the Domestic Violence Intervention Court Model (DVICM). Logistic and Poisson regression models were used to determine whether the DVICM resulted in the following: an increase in the proportion of persons of interest charged with a domestic violence offence; an increase in the proportion of domestic violence matters finalised on a plea of guilty; a decrease in the proportion of matters finalised on a dismissal; an increase in the proportion of penalties of bonds with supervision; an increase in the proportion of penalties of imprisonment; a decrease in the time from first court appearance to finalisation in court; an increase in the proportion of matters finalised with a plea of guilty within three weeks of first court appearance; and an increase in the proportion of matters finalised within 12 weeks of the police event date. The test sites were Campbelltown, Macquarie Fields, and Wagga Wagga Local Area Commands. The rest of NSW was used as the control group. The DVICM increased the proportion of persons of interest charged in Macquarie Fields but not in Campbelltown or Wagga Wagga Local Area Commands. It reduced the time taken to finalise domestic violence matters in Campbelltown and Wagga Wagga Local Courts. The DVICM did not affect the proportion of matters finalised on a plea of guilty; the proportion of matters finalised on a dismissal; the proportion of penalties of bonds with supervision; nor the proportion of penalties of imprisonment. The DVICM was successful in achieving some but not all of its aims. Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2012. 16p. Source: Crime and Justice Bulletin, Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice No. 155: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2012 at http://www.sheriff.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/Corporate/ll_corporate.nsf/vwFiles/060312_BOCSAR_CJB155.pdf/$file/060312_BOCSAR_CJB155.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.sheriff.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/Corporate/ll_corporate.nsf/vwFiles/060312_BOCSAR_CJB155.pdf/$file/060312_BOCSAR_CJB155.pdf Shelf Number: 124398 Keywords: Domestic Abuse (Australia)Domestic Violence (Australia)Evaluative StudiesFamily ViolenceIntervention ProgramsSpousal Abuse (Australia) |
Author: Alana LaPerle Project Services Title: Downtown Street Outreach Initiative: Final Evaluation Report Summary: In the fall of 2010, Jim Taylor, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Association, and then-Deputy Chief Norm Lipinski made application to the Edmonton Police Foundation for an initiative to address safety concerns in downtown Edmonton. The proposal was for a downtown street outreach worker, provided by Boyle Street Community Services, who would work in partnership with Edmonton Police Services to “address root causes that bring some people to rely on street culture to survive” (EPF Project Application). Funding for a one year pilot project was granted and the Downtown Street Outreach Worker, Colin Inglis, “hit the streets” December 1, 2011. The worker‟s area of coverage was from 109 Street to 97 Street and from 104 Avenue to the top of the riverbank. In addition to the project funder and project partners (Edmonton Police Services, Downtown Business Association and Boyle Street Community Services), other stakeholders included community service agencies, downtown businesses, residents and people who work, shop and/or spend leisure time downtown. Details: Sherwood Park, AB: Alana LaPerle Project Services, 2011. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2012 at http://www.threesource.ca/documents/February2012/Downtown-Street-Outreach-Initiative.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Canada URL: http://www.threesource.ca/documents/February2012/Downtown-Street-Outreach-Initiative.pdf Shelf Number: 124613 Keywords: Community SafetyHomelessnessIntervention ProgramsPublic Safety (Edmonton) |
Author: Perez-Arce, Francisco Title: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program Summary: Decades of research show that high school dropouts are more likely than graduates to commit crimes, abuse drugs and alcohol, have children out of wedlock, earn low wages, be unemployed, and suffer from poor health. The ChalleNGe program, currently operating in 27 states, is a residential program coupled with post-residential mentoring that seeks to alter the life course of high school dropouts ages 16-18. A rigorous evaluation of the ChalleNGe program employing random assignment has demonstrated that the program has positive effects on educational attainment and employment. The cost-benefit analysis presented in this document estimates that those and other program effects yield $25,549 ($2010) in social benefits per individual admitted to the program, or $2.66 in social benefits for every dollar expended for a return on investment of 166 percent. The program's benefits accrue mostly in the form of higher lifetime earnings attributable to higher levels of educational attainment induced by the program. Under baseline assumptions, this cost-benefit analysis suggests continued operation of existing ChalleNGe sites will yield substantial net benefits to program participants and society at large. This quantitative finding supports public investment in the ChalleNGe program as currently operated and targeted. Details: Arlington, VA: RAND Corporation, 2012. 68p. Source: Technical Report: Accessed April 15, 2012 at Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 124967 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisHigh School DropoutsIntervention Programs |
Author: van der Laan, Peter H. Title: Cross-border Trafficking In Human Beings: Prevention and Intervention Strategies for Reducing Sexual Exploitation Summary: Over the years, growing attention has been given to the phenomenon of trafficking in human beings (THB). Sexual exploitation was until recently by far the most commonly identified feature of THB, followed by forced labour. Many activities to combat trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation have been initiated by numerous supranational, international as well as national organizations. Much is written about these initiatives, but some areas have been neglected. Knowledge on ‘what works’ is in particular limited. The growing attention to THB entails a demand for more information. The severity of the crime and the impact on its victims makes it of utmost importance to gain more insight into the working and effectiveness of anti-trafficking strategies and interventions. The main objective of this review was to assess the presently available evidence on the effects of interventions that aim to prevent and suppress trafficking in human beings. The following questions were central to the systematic review: 1) What types of anti-THB strategies and interventions can be identified that have been accompanied by some form of empirical analysis? 2) Which of these studies incorporate (quasi-)experimental evaluations that are rigorous enough to determine the effect of these anti-THB strategies on preventing and suppressing THB? 3) What are the outcomes of these (quasi-)experimental studies? Policies or interventions to prevent or suppress cross border trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation have not been evaluated rigorously enough to determine their effect. Using different search strategies and key words in nine different languages, the authors identified 19.000 studies on trafficking that came out between January 2000 and June 2009. They examined and coded the full text of the 20 studies that contained a combination of the relevant key words in their title, subtitle and/or abstract. None of these were controlled and most did not even use pre- and post-test measures. Details: Oslo: The Campbell Collaboration, 2011. 50p. Source: Campbell Systematic Review 2011:9 : Internet Resource: Accessed April 17, 2012 at http://www.emnbelgium.be/sites/default/files/publications/cross_border_trafficking_systematic_review.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.emnbelgium.be/sites/default/files/publications/cross_border_trafficking_systematic_review.pdf Shelf Number: 124999 Keywords: Crime PreventionHuman TraffickingIntervention ProgramsSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Jain, Saranga Title: New Insights on Preventing Child Marriage: A Global Analysis of Factors and Programs Summary: The international community and U.S. government are increasingly concerned about the prevalence of child marriage and its toll on girls in developing countries (UNICEF 2005; Save the Children 2004; Mathur, Greene and Malhotra 2003). One in seven girls in the developing world marries before 15 (Population Council 2006). Nearly half of the 331 million girls in developing countries are expected to marry by their 20th birthday. At this rate, 100 million more girls—or 25,000 more girls every day—will become child brides in the next decade (Bruce and Clark 2004). Current literature on child marriage has primarily examined the prevalence, consequences and reported reasons for early marriage. Much less has been analyzed about the risk and protective factors that may be associated with child marriage. Also, little is known about the range of existing programs addressing child marriage, and what does and does not work in preventing early marriage. The work presented here investigates two key questions: What factors are associated with risk of or protection against child marriage, and ultimately could be the focus of prevention efforts?; What are the current programmatic approaches to prevent child marriage in developing countries, and are these programs effective? This report is for policy-makers and development practitioners working on or planning a future program to prevent child marriage. New insights on risk and protective factors will help program designers find points of intervention to prevent child marriage. The program scan offers a better understanding of what programs currently exist and how to expand efforts. Details: Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women, 2007. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2012 at http://www.icrw.org/files/publications/New-Insights-on-Preventing-Child-Marriage.pdf Year: 2007 Country: International URL: http://www.icrw.org/files/publications/New-Insights-on-Preventing-Child-Marriage.pdf Shelf Number: 125044 Keywords: Child MarriageCrime PreventionEvaluative StudiesIntervention Programs |
Author: Lloyd, Cheryl Title: Monitoring and Evaluation of Intensive Intervention Projects for Young People Summary: A total of 20 Intensive intervention projects (IIPs) were set up in 2008 to work with young people aged 8 to 19 with the most complex needs. These projects applied the intensive family support model (formerly Family Intervention Projects) to address the behaviour and other problems of the young people. The key difference between an IIP and an intensive family intervention being that the primary focus was on the young person (rather than the whole family). Other family members, however, are included in an IIP where it is appropriate to address the inter-connectedness between the young person and other family members’ problems. This report presents the monitoring evidence of young people referred to an IIP between April 2009 and 21 January 2011. Key findings • As of 21 January 2011, 1,836 young people had been referred to an IIP. Of these, 61 per cent were accepted for an IIP and had a Contract in place; six per cent were put on a waiting list; and 33 per cent were turned down for an IIP. • Just under a half (49 per cent) of young people who had left an IIP were recorded by IIP staff as having successfully completed their intervention and achieved a positive outcome. A further 21 per cent of young people left the intervention because their circumstances had changed and they were no longer eligible for an IIP. Thirty per cent of young people either refused to continue working with an IIP themselves or their carer refused to allow them to continue. • Results for the 790 young people who had exited an IIP or been working with an IIP for at least eight months included in the outcomes analysis provide positive evidence of the success IIPs are having: 60 per cent of young people had fewer crime and ASB issues between starting and leaving the IIP. 65 per cent of young people and their families were reported by IIP staff to have improved the way their family functioned (by reducing disengagement between the young person and their family, addressing parenting issues or domestic violence) between the Contract and Exit stage. 63 per cent of young people had reduced the number of their health risks recorded between the start and end of their IIP intervention. This included addressing mental health issues, drug or alcohol misuse as well as reducing the risk of becoming a teenage parent. Young people were least likely to address their education and employment issues. A total of 46 per cent of young people had reduced their education and employment issues between the Contract being put in place and leaving the intervention. Details: London: Department for Education, 2011. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report DFE-RR112: Accessed September 1, 2012 at: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/3592/1/3592_DFE-RR112.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/3592/1/3592_DFE-RR112.pdf Shelf Number: 126224 Keywords: At-Risk Youth (U.K.)Delinquency PreventionIntervention ProgramsRehabilitation |
Author: Arnold, Leah Title: 'Breaking the Cycle of Violence': A Quantitative Evaluation of an Educative Intervention Aimed at Improving the Self-Concepts and Behaviours of Vulnerable Adolescents Summary: The present research offers an evaluation of the LINX Programme; an intervention for young people who have been exposed to domestic violence and ultimately have severe self-concept and violence related issues. The methodology primarily consists of quantitative likert-scale surveys which are administered to the participants both before they begin the programme and 12 weeks later upon its completion. Therefore the data collection has been a longitudinal process. Additionally, reoffending data has been collected from past LINX participants and is used in conjunction with the survey data. For a significant statistical majority of young people, both self-concepts and behaviours had improved following the LINX Programme. Likewise, to highlight further the achievement of this intervention, no significant variance of scores was found across either gender or age. This suggests that the programme has been consistently delivered and is applicable for the majority of young people in attendance; however due to certain limitations other alternative explanations for this statistical outcome are discussed. This study has an extensive rationale due to the currently very limited academic focus on intervention efforts. Particularly minimal are studies which adopt a quantitative approach. Furthermore, this investigation takes an original approach by developing very informative regional comparisons where the same intervention is employed within four different counties of the United Kingdom. Beyond its contribution to social psychological research, this study has implications for the LINX Programme itself, by effectively applying social scientific knowledge to the evaluation of an existing intervention. In conclusion to the project, recommendations for extensions to the present research and the future development of the LINX Programme are identified. Details: Southampton, UK: University of Southampton, 2011. 51p. Source: Dissertation: Internet Resource: Accessed September 4, 2012 at http://www.hamptontrust.org.uk/what_we_do/linx/la_dissertation_breakingthecycleofviolence.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.hamptontrust.org.uk/what_we_do/linx/la_dissertation_breakingthecycleofviolence.pdf Shelf Number: 126254 Keywords: AdolescentsCrime Prevention ProgramsDomestic ViolenceIntervention Programs |
Author: Bandy, Tawana Title: What Works for Male Children and Adolescents: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Interventions Summary: As young people transition through childhood to adolescence, they often face developmental challenges that can impede their quest to become flourishing, healthy adults. While both males and females experience difficulties, there are certain risk factors to which males are more susceptible. Compared with females, males tend to be more likely to drop out of school, engage in delinquency, use alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and act out. They are also less likely than females to go to college. While a number of evidence-based programs have been found to be effective at reducing risk factors for children and adolescents, many programs have differential impacts for females and males. Understanding what works for male children adolescent is critical to improving outcomes for youth. This Fact Sheet and its companion Fact Sheet, focused on female children and adolescents1, examine programs and strategies that work, as well as those that don’t work. This literature review synthesizes findings from 115 random assignment intent-to-treat evaluations of interventions that targeted male children and adolescents, or coed interventions that provide impact data specifically for male children and adolescents. Interventions were excluded from the review if they did not include at least 100 males in the evaluation sample. Overall, 57 of the 115 programs had a positive impact on at least one outcome reviewed, 27 had mixed findings, and 31 did not have any positive impacts for the males studied. While several themes emerged, we did not find any one program or practice that worked across all outcome areas. Details: Washington, DC: Child Trends, 2012. 28p. Source: Child Trends Fact Sheet #2012-22: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2012 at http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_08_20_WW_MaleChildrenAdol.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_08_20_WW_MaleChildrenAdol.pdf Shelf Number: 126505 Keywords: Adolescents, MalesCrime Prevention ProgramsEvaluative StudiesIntervention ProgramsJuvenile Offenders, Males |
Author: Bell, Kelly Title: What Works for Female Children and Adolescents: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Interventions Summary: Girls face unique developmental challenges in childhood and adolescence. Compared to boys, girls tend to report more mental health problems, and they are susceptible to reproductive health risks, such as unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. While a number of evidence-based programs have been found to be effective at reducing risk factors for children and adolescents, many programs have differential impacts for girls and boys. Understanding what works for girls is critical to improving outcomes youth. This brief and its companion brief, focused on boys3, examine programs and strategies that work, as well as those that don’t for each gender. This research brief synthesizes findings from 106 random assignment intent-to-treat evaluations of social interventions that targeted female children, adolescents, and young adults, or co-ed interventions that provide separate data about impacts for the female subgroup. Interventions were excluded from the review if they did not include at least 100 girls in the evaluation sample. Overall, 51 of the 106 programs had a positive impact for girls on at least one of the outcomes reviewed, 27 had mixed findings, and 28 did not have a positive impact on any of the outcomes studied. While several themes emerged within each outcome area, there was no approach that worked across all outcome areas. Details: Washington, DC: Child Trends, 2012. 23p. Source: Child Trends Fact Sheet #2012-23: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2012 at http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_08_20_WW_FemaleChildrenAdol.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_08_20_WW_FemaleChildrenAdol.pdf Shelf Number: 126506 Keywords: Adolescents, FemalesCrime Prevention ProgramsEvaluative StudiesIntervention ProgramsJuvenile Offenders, Females |
Author: Brash, Rachel Title: Youth Violence Prevention and Reduction: Strategies for a Safer Baltimore Summary: A wide spectrum of strategies has been developed to combat youth violence across the country. Some interventions focus on preventing violent behavior in the first place, while others focus on reducing such behavior after it has developed. Interventions fall into three broad categories: individual-level interventions, neighborhood-level interventions, and gun and police strategies. Individual-level interventions include parent training, prenatal and early childhood interventions, and social-cognitive and behavioral training. Each of these types of intervention has been associated with reductions in antisocial behavior or violence. Neighborhood interventions include comprehensive strategies and school-based programs. Comprehensive strategies—which provide extensive services to youth and their families and aim to improve social and economic conditions within neighborhoods—have gained popularity over the past decade. Because of their complexity, these types of strategies are difficult to implement and evaluate. School-based interventions are widespread and research suggests that they can help reduce risk factors associated with violence and violence itself. Lastly, many cities have implemented strategies involving gun and police policies. Some of these, including intensive patrols targeting gun possession and gun crimes, have been shown to be very promising. The research reviewed has several important implications for Baltimore and cities like it. Because of the wide range of programs that have been found to help reduce violence, cities do not need to focus all their resources on any one type of intervention. City leaders should keep in mind that not all popular programs have been found effective. For example, evidence suggests that mentoring programs help reduce substance abuse, but they have not been shown to reduce violence. As for gun buyback programs, evidence suggests they do not reduce violence either. Public resources might be better spent on other types of interventions. Additionally, policy makers and service providers should keep in mind that evidence suggests that parent training may not benefit families if parents have limited economic resources, mental health problems, little social support, or serious marital conflict. Given that these conditions are prevalent in Baltimore, parenting training may not be a successful strategy. The evidence from Baltimore and the rest of the country suggests that a successful violence prevention strategy for Baltimore should include at least five components: Wrap-around services for youth most at risk of violence; Targeted handgun patrols in high-violence areas; Home visitation by nurses and paraprofessionals; Evidence-based prevention instruction in schools; and, Intensive family therapy. Evidence from Baltimore also suggests that attention needs to be paid to continuity of programming over time, communication and collaboration among agencies and organizations, monitoring of programs, and sharing of information from past and current efforts. If Baltimore addressed these communication and programming issues and implemented, with integrity, the five strategies described above, the city could greatly improve its chances of significantly reducing the number of young people killed in its neighborhoods. Details: Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies, 2004. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2012: http://ips.jhu.edu/elements/pdf/ips/abell/brash.pdf Year: 2004 Country: United States URL: http://ips.jhu.edu/elements/pdf/ips/abell/brash.pdf Shelf Number: 126518 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsDelinquency Prevention ProgramsGun ViolenceIntervention ProgramsYouth Violence (Baltimore, Maryland)Youth Violence Prevention |
Author: Arciaga, Michelle Title: Street Outreach and the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model Summary: Since the early 19th century and the emergence of street gangs within urban population centers of the United States, community members have sought to reach out to these disenfranchised and criminally involved youth to reengage and redirect them to more pro-social activities. Over the years, these efforts have yielded mixed results. For instance, the detached gang worker programs of the 1950s and ’60s, while well-intentioned, delivered almost uniformly flat results and may actually have increased the cohesion of the gangs they served, thus accelerating gang offending (Klein, 1971). It seems intuitive that social intervention directed at gang members is necessary and vital as a response to gang violence. However, programmatic results, when these programs have been evaluated, suggest that street-level outreach, by itself, is not sufficient to create a reduction in gang-related crime. In 1987, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention launched the Juvenile Gang Suppression and Intervention Research and Development Program, led by Dr. Irving Spergel at the University of Chicago. Spergel conducted a national assessment of agency and community responses to gangs. After reviewing multiple program models and existing programmatic evaluations, Spergel concluded: “neither a single minded suppression nor a single-minded social-intervention approach has demonstrated success in reducing gang crime, especially gang violence.” As a result of that assessment, Spergel and his colleagues created the Comprehensive Community-Wide Gang Program Model (Spergel, 1995; Spergel et al., 1992; Spergel and Curry, 1993). The Spergel Model included a multidisciplinary Intervention Team, composed of law enforcement, probation, and outreach personnel who worked together to case manage gang intervention targets within the context of five interrelated strategies: social intervention, opportunities provision, community mobilization, suppression, and organizational change and development. The success of the Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project led to the creation of the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model (Model). Since the 1990s, the Model has been tested in targeted sections of more than 20 different communities around the United States, from large cities (Los Angeles, California; Houston, Texas; Miami, Florida; Milwaukee, Wisconsin) to mid-sized cities (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; North Miami Beach, Florida) to small urban and rural communities (East Cleveland, Ohio; Mount Vernon, Illinois; Elk City, Oklahoma; Glenn County, California; Longview, Washington). (National Gang Center, 2010) This article provides an overview of best practices developed in these sites for street outreach in the context of the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model. Details: Tallahassee, FL: National Gang Center, 2012. 10p. Source: National Gang Center Bulletin No. 7: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2012 at http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/Street-Outreach-Comprehensive-Gang-Model.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/Street-Outreach-Comprehensive-Gang-Model.pdf Shelf Number: 126639 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsGang PreventionIntervention ProgramsJuvenile OffendersStreet Gangs |
Author: Gately, Natalie Title: Amphetamine Use Among Detainees at the East Perth Watch House: What is the Impact on Crime? Summary: Amphetamines have been increasingly available on the Australian drug markets since the early 1990s with a recent increase in clandestine laboratory detections as well as seizures by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Customs. Amphetamine use has been associated with psychological, physical and social harm, criminal behaviour and violence; however, much of the current research is descriptive. The present study was designed to utilise existing datasets from two major sources: the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) project and statistics on reported crime in Western Australia (WA). This enabled drug and crime data taken from several sources to be consolidated for the purpose of investigating the relationships between key variables of interest and trends in these variables over time. While no statistical relationship was identified, there was a trend towards reduced amphetamine use indicators together with a trend in increasing weights of amphetamines seized in the final two years of available data. This study highlights two particularly important factors related to age. Firstly, it is apparent that amphetamine users commence using various illicit and licit (for non-medical purposes) drugs at earlier ages on average than amphetamine non-users. Secondly, amphetamine users commence criminal careers at an earlier age than non-users on average. These findings emphasise both the importance of tackling alcohol and drug issues early and of youth diversion strategies for amphetamine drug offences. Given the generally lower socioeconomic status observed in the amphetamine using group in this study (compared to amphetamine non-users), assistance in acquiring stable housing and provision of education and training opportunities to improve employment prospects may reduce their likelihood of either using drugs and/or committing offences. This study revealed the relationships between important indicators such as drug use, crime and interventions that can be used to provide support for the provision or cessation of specific intervention activities. Details: Griffth, ACT Australia: Criminology Research Council, 2011. 59p. Source: Report to the Criminology Research Council: Internet Resource: Accessed October 15, 2012 at http://www.criminologyresearchcouncil.gov.au/reports/0910-50.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.criminologyresearchcouncil.gov.au/reports/0910-50.pdf Shelf Number: 126741 Keywords: Amphetamines (Australia)Crime Prevention StrategiesCrime StatisticsCriminal CareersDrug Abuse and Crime (Australia)Intervention Programs |
Author: The Centre for Social Justice Title: Time to Wake Up: Tackling Gangs One Year After the Riots Summary: In 2009 the Centre for Social Justice published Dying to Belong, a landmark review of street gangs in the UK. We argued that gang culture is symptomatic of even deeper social problems: chaotic families; absent fathers; young people cut adrift and lacking purpose; and a revolving door criminal justice system which does nothing to change lives. In Dying to Belong we argued that without concerted action to mend our broken society more violent and appalling disorder will rear its ugly head. There is nothing more dangerous than a group of people who feel they have nothing to gain and nothing to lose. This truth was loudly confirmed when last summer’s riots erupted. Gangs played a significant role in the riots and it is dangerous to pretend otherwise – in London at least one in five of those convicted was known to be part of a gang. One year on, we have talked to members of our UK-wide Alliance of small, frontline organisations and charities asking them how they feel gang culture has changed in the light of the government response. Worryingly, many have drawn us a picture of little or no progress, despite the publication of a positive political strategy. Some have even suggested that the problem is becoming worse with increased violence amongst younger gang members and growing numbers of girls joining gangs. There is also deep concern that the Government is not serious about making a long-term commitment to tackling gang culture and its roots. Many in Whitehall regard the riots as a random one-off and mistake the quashing of the disorder as control of the streets. They could not be more wrong.The alarming fact is that many streets across the country are besieged by anarchy and violence. There is no control in such neighbourhoods. Gangs policy cannot be allowed to drift. To do so would be to give up on children and young people who have already been badly let down. It would leave communities ever more vulnerable to even larger, more active gangs in the future. The Government must rediscover the momentum and commitment it once had to tackle gangs. Without a reversal of the social breakdown and disorder that characterises too much of life in our most deprived communities, we will continue to see wasted generation after wasted generation. And countless other young people will lose their lives to this tragic and pointless violence. In the aftermath of last year’s riots, the Prime Minister declared ‘an all-out war on gangs and culture’ in response to claims that such groups played a significant role in the disorder. Over the past 12 months their part has been continually called into question. Elements of the media have leapt upon the finding that, outside of London, fewer than one in ten arrestees were gang members, citing this as proof that gangs were not pivotal. Statistics revealing that one in five of those arrested in London was a known gang member have been downplayed. Details: London: The Centre for Social Justice, 2012. 15p. Source: Policy Paper: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2012 at http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/client/images/Gangs%20Report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/client/images/Gangs%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 126862 Keywords: Antisocial BehaviorCrime Prevention ProgramsDisorderly ConductGang ViolenceGangs (U.K.)Intervention ProgramsNuisance Behaviors and DisordersRiots |
Author: Matrix Evidence Title: Break-Even Analysis of T2A Intervention for Young Adults Summary: Young adults, aged between 18 and 24, account for a disproportionate amount of offending, providing a prima facie case for providing services aimed specifically at reducing the level of reoffending by these young people. However, the Criminal Justice System (CJS) does not distinguish between the needs of young adults and older adults when implementing interventions aimed at reducing reoffending. The youth justice system applies to young people up to age 17, but once young people reach 18 years old they are considered adults and essentially treated the same as older adults. The Barrow Cadbury Trust’s ‘Transition to Adulthood’ (T2A) programme funds several pilot schemes that provide services to young adult offenders with the ultimate aim of reducing the likelihood of reoffending. We undertook a ‘break-even’ analysis of the T2A programme. In other words, we identified the impact that the programme would need to have on reducing reoffending in order to pay for itself. The key findings are • If set-up costs of the programme pilot are excluded, the programme would have to reduce of reoffending of 6.1% to pay for itself. This equates to between one and two offences per average young adult (specifically a reduction of 1.4 offences from approximately 39 offences over the future lifetime to 37 after the intervention). • If set-up costs are included, the required reduction in reoffending would need to be to 7.3% (or a reduction of 1.7 offences per average young adult). • A comparison of these reductions with those found in a previous study we conducted suggests that such impacts (6.1% and 7.3%) are feasible. These levels are equivalent to 1,540 (excluding set-up costs) and 1,828 (including set-up costs) offences being prevented over the lifetime of the 1,071 young adults benefiting from the pilot. These result in an average saving per young adult over their future lifetime due to the T2A programme of £1,416 and £1,680 respectively. The actual break-even point required might actually be different to that estimated in our model for several reasons, such as: • where the young adult is in the CJS, if at all; • the level of risk of the young people who participate in the T2A programme; and • whether costs of volunteer time in would need to be paid for. Details: London: Barrow Cadbury Trust, 2009. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 1, 2012 at: Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 127085 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisIntervention ProgramsRehabilitationTransition to Adulthood ProgramYoung Adult Offenders (U.K.) |
Author: Great Britain. House of Commons. Committee of Public Accounts Title: Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour Summary: Anti-social behaviour by a small proportion of individuals and families brings misery and despair to local communities. Responding to reports of anti-social behaviour in England and Wales costs government agencies around £3.4 billion a year. There are also significant indirect costs to local communities and businesses, as well as emotional costs to victims and witnesses. In 2003 the Home Office formed the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit with an annual budget of £25 million to design and implement the Government’s policy on antisocial behaviour. In September 2005 the Government announced the creation of the cross government Respect Task Force to take forward the anti-social behaviour agenda and in January 2006 the Government published the Respect Action Plan. Anti-social behaviour measures were first introduced in the mid 1990s, and since this time more powers and measures have been added to give local authorities, the police and others a toolkit of measures with which to tackle incidents of anti-social behaviour. People’s perception of the level of anti-social behaviour varies by gender, area and age, with people most likely to perceive high levels in areas of greatest social deprivation. Comparable local areas use different approaches to dealing with anti-social behaviour and there has been no comparative evaluation of the success of these approaches. Nor has there has been a comprehensive evaluation of the use and success of the different measures and powers, making it difficult for the Home Office, the Respect Task Force and those dealing with anti-social behaviour to assess what works best. On the basis of a Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Committee examined the Home Office and the Respect Task Force on evidence emerging from the sample of 893 cases of individuals receiving anti-social behaviour interventions reviewed by the National Audit Office. Of this sample, around 46% related to people aged under 18 and 54% were over 18. In the absence of central data and national evaluations, the National Audit Office had used the sample to determine the apparent impact of the intervention applied in each case, in terms of whether there was evidence of further anti-social behaviour within the period covered by the case file review, and if so, after how long and what further intervention then occurred. Some 65% of the people in the sample received only one intervention. The National Audit Office review also found, however, that a small core of people engaged repeatedly in anti-social behaviour with around 20% of their sample cases receiving over half of all interventions issued. The Committee also questioned the Home Office about its recent disclosure that a backlog of 27,500 notifications of convictions of British citizens abroad had been passed to the Association of Chief Police Officers for checking and entering on the Police National Computer in March 2006 after being allowed to build up over several years. Details: London: The Stationery Office, 2007. 53p. Source: Forty-Fourth Report of Session 2006-07: Internet Resource: Accessed December 21, 2012 at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmpubacc/246/246.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmpubacc/246/246.pdf Shelf Number: 127252 Keywords: Anti-Social Behavior (U.K.)Costs of CrimeCrime Prevention ProgramsCriminal Justice PolicyIntervention Programs |
Author: Rourke, Poppy Title: Risk of Reconviction Among Offenders Who Commence the Blacktown Traffic Offender Programme Summary: Aim: To examine the profile of offenders who commenced the Blacktown Traffic Offender Program (BTOP) between 1994 and 2011 and to investigate which factors predict re-offending. Method: Descriptive statistics were used to examine the profile of program participants. Logistic regression models were used to determine which participant characteristics were associated with an increased risk of reconviction (for any offence and any traffic offence). Results: Fifteen per cent of participants committed a new offence in the 2 years following program commencement, and 11 per cent committed a further traffic offence. Being male, aged between 16 and 20 years, Indigenous, having a prior criminal record, and having 3 or more concurrent offences were all associated with an increased risk of being convicted for any further offence. Being aged between 16 and 20 years, living in more disadvantaged areas, having a prior criminal record, and having 3 or more concurrent offences were associated with an increased likelihood of being convicted for a new traffic offence. Approximately two-thirds of offenders who present with 4 or more risk factors go on to commit any new offence and one-third commit a new traffic offence. Conclusion: Results suggests that certain individual characteristics indicate an elevated risk of reconviction for any further offence, and further traffic offences in the 2 years following commencement of the BTOP. Offenders who present with multiple (4 or more) risk factors are at significantly greater risk of reconviction. Details: Sydney, Australia: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2012. 8p. Source: Issue Paper No. 81: Internet Resource: Accessed January 13, 2013 at http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/bb81.pdf/$file/bb81.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/bb81.pdf/$file/bb81.pdf Shelf Number: 127278 Keywords: Intervention ProgramsReconvictionReoffendingTraffic OffendersTraffic Offenses |
Author: Furby, Brett Title: Evaluation of Community Offender Services Programs Drug and Alcohol Addiction and Relapse Prevention - Three Years Out Summary: Community Offender Services (COS), within Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) is responsible for the management of offenders serving community-based sentences across 60 NSW district offices. The Drug and Alcohol Addiction Program (DAAP) and Relapse Prevention Program (RPP) were designed to be delivered by Probation and Parole Officers (PPOs) who supervise the participating offenders. These programs formed part of a drug and alcohol intervention strategy aimed to enhance the range of options that PPOs may use to assist community-based offenders under supervision in breaking the cycle of drug dependency and crime. CSNSW received funding from the NSW Drug Summit Initiative to develop, implement and evaluate these programs. The first year of the programs has previously been reported. This report details findings from the second and third years of program delivery to end September, 2008. Trends are examined on program activity data, participant characteristics and re-offending rates since program inception. At three years out, program effects remain positive with offenders showing marked improvements in levels of drug dependency, stage of change in problem resolution and legal outcomes. Details: ydney: Corporate Research, Evaluation & Statistics, NSW Department of Corrective Services, 2011. 30p. Source: Research Bulletin No. 33: Internet Resource: Accessed January 13, 2013 at http://143.119.253.176/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/447299/RB33-Evaluation-of-Community-Offender-Services-Programs-Drug-and-Alcohol-Addiction-and-Relapse-Prevention-Three-Years-Out.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 127279 Keywords: Alcohol AbuseCommunity-based CorrectionsDrug Abuse and AddictionEvaluative StudiesIntervention Programs |
Author: Swayze, Dana Title: THE MINNESOTA YOUTH INTERVENTION PROGRAM A Statistical Analysis of Participant Pre- and Post-Program Surveys Summary: The Minnesota Youth Intervention Program is a collective of youth programs which are supported, in part, by specific funding set aside by the Minnesota Legislature. The YIP Program, as it is often termed, was established by the legislature in 1978 and has existed in its current statutory language and purpose since 2005. In order to be eligible for YIP funding, individual youth programs must meet the criteria named in Minnesota Statute1: ‘Youth intervention program’ means a nonresidential community-based program providing advocacy, education, counseling, mentoring, and referral services to youth and their families experiencing personal, familial, school, legal, or chemical problems with the goal of resolving the present problems and preventing the occurrence of the problems in the future. It is the intent of YIP to ‘provide an ongoing stable funding source to community-based early intervention programs for youth.’ Individual programs receive YIP funding through a competitive grant application process administered by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs (OJP). In 2012, 51 programs across Minnesota were selected to receive YIP funding. The purpose of the study is to identify whether YIP funded programs are: Serving the intended youth population; Meeting the six stated program purpose areas and; Having a positive effect on youth attitudes and behavior. The assessment tool developed by OJP, in collaboration with the Minnesota Youth Intervention Program Association (YIPA) and YIP grantee partners, is a pre- and post-participation survey designed to be administered as youth entered the program and again as they exit the program. This pre-post survey technique allows for statistical analysis of survey responses before and after, isolating the effect of program involvement on youth. The survey was also designed so that data submitted by individual programs could be provided back to assist the participating programs in targeting specific attitudes and behaviors; support best practices in youth programming; and supplement other outcome measures. Details: St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs, 2012. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 17, 2013 at: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/forms-documents/Documents/YIP%202012%20Final%20Report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/forms-documents/Documents/YIP%202012%20Final%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 127340 Keywords: Community-Based Programs, JuvenilesDelinquency PreventionIntervention ProgramsJuvenile Offenders (Minnesota) |
Author: Barefoot Research and Evaluation Title: Support for Women Around Northumberland. Project Evaluation Summary: Support for Women Around Northumberland (SWAN) is one of two projects in the North East which have received funding from the Ministry of Justice under their Diverting Women from Custody Programme. The objectives of SWAN are to reduce the re-offending of female offenders or those at-risk of offending through providing a range of diversionary and preventative interventions. The project became operational in February 2010 and has received funding until March 2011. SWAN is delivered by a partnership of voluntary sector organisations in Northumberland - ESCAPE Family Support (the lead agency), the Women’s Health Advice Centre (WHAC), Fourth Action and Relate. The original project document stated that between February 2010 and March 2011, the project would undertake needs assessments and create support plans for 80 women. It also stated that over the course of the project, a total of 50 women will consistently engage with the project. Between February and November a total of 120 women have been referred into SWAN. At the time of writing this evaluation report, a total of 70 women have been assessed with a resultant support plan. Of these, a total of 50 women have engaged regularly with the project. The project has resulted in a 70 percent reduction in the rate of re-offending of the women who have engaged with the project. There has also been a significant reduction in the number of charges (73 percent) made by the Police and the number of convictions (81 percent) amongst engaged female offenders. There has also been a 72 percent reduction in appearances before Magistrates. Details: Barefoot Research and Evaluation, 2010. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed February 7, 2013 at: http://www.barefootresearch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/SWAN-Report-Single-Pages.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.barefootresearch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/SWAN-Report-Single-Pages.pdf Shelf Number: 127537 Keywords: Female Offenders (U.K.)Intervention ProgramsRecidivismReoffendingTreatment Programs |
Author: Ludbrook, Maria Title: Youth Therapeutic Programmes: A Literature Review Summary: There is no doubt that youth offenders (i.e. those under 20) are a population of concern. New Zealand statistics show that youth aged 14 to 20 have the highest apprehension rates across major offence categories (MOJ 2010). Following release from prison, under 20 year-olds have the highest reconviction (88%) and reimprisonment (71%) rates within a 60-month period, with almost a quarter reoffending within three months of release, and almost half reoffending and returning to prison within 12 months. Prior incarceration increases the likelihood that youth will return to prison after any given release. First-timers to prison are 66% likely to return, and recidivist youth 88% likely to return within 60 months (Nadesu 2009b). Offenders at or near their peak offending age (i.e. those under 25) cause the most harm to society in any given year. Intervening before they reach their peak offending age gives more opportunity to prevent harm (Hughs 2010). While many youth grow out of criminal offending (or desist from crime more quickly), a small group persists and become New Zealand’s chronic low or high rate adult offenders. Nadesu (2009) suggested that intervening with young offenders within prisons should be a Departmental priority, as effective interventions are likely to have significant downstream benefits. This review was undertaken to identify the characteristics of effective programmes for young offenders. Effective programmes: are underpinned by sound theory and principles (cognitive behavioural, social learning); embody ‘therapeutic’ philosophies (i.e. involve development of new pro social skills); are cognitive behavioural in nature, and include anger management/aggression control and interpersonal skills training components in addition to the other core modules. They adhere to the principles of risk (i.e. interventions are commensurate with risk level), need (they target multiple criminogenic needs relevant to youth) and responsivity (i.e. CBT content and delivery are adapted to account for the differing characteristics of youth offenders). Effective programmes are implemented to a high quality, with close monitoring of treatment fidelity and programme integrity. Sound programmes also plan for generalisation, reintegration and after-care. Facilitators selected to deliver such programmes possess the desired interpersonal influence skills, and have adequate qualifications and/or training in CBT principles and techniques as they apply to the programme. Clinical supervision is delivered by a person who knows about the relevant programme. Details: Wellington, NZ: New Zealand Department of Corrections, 2012. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 18, 2013 at: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/641219/COR_Youth_Therapeutic_Program_WEB.pdf Year: 2012 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/641219/COR_Youth_Therapeutic_Program_WEB.pdf Shelf Number: 128005 Keywords: Intervention ProgramsJuvenile AftercareJuvenile DelinquencyJuvenile Offenders (New Zealand)Rehabilitation ProgramsYoung Adult Offenders |
Author: Young, Michelle Arciaga Title: Getting Out of Gangs, Staying Out of Gangs: Gang intervention Summary: Adults working with gang-involved clients often have questions about the reasons that individuals remain involved in gangs long-term, and how they can assist teenagers and young adults with leaving the gang. This article describes the pivotal life points at which targeted gang interventions may have increased effectiveness, and recommendations for strategies. A considerable amount of gang research over the past 30 years has identified factors leading to gang membership, including specific “pushes” and “pulls” that influence an individual’s decision to join a gang. Individuals may be pushed into gangs because of negative outside factors, barriers, and conditions in their social environment such as poverty, family problems, and lack of success in school. At the same time, they may also be pulled into gangs because the gang offers a perceived benefit (Decker and Van Winkle, 1996) such as safety/protection, love and support, excitement, financial opportunities, and a sense of belonging. Until recently, very few studies have examined the factors that may contribute to an individual’s decision to leave the gang (desistence). Longitudinal studies in cities with emerging gang problems conclude that turnover of membership in gangs is constant, and most gang members report staying in the gang for one year or less (Hill et al., 2001; Peterson et al., 2004; Thornberry et al., 2003; Thornberry et al., 2004). Research with former gang members indicates that marginal and short-term gang members generally are able to leave the gang without serious consequences (Decker and Lauritsen, 2002; Decker and Van Winkle, 1996). However, field studies conducted on a smaller scale in Los Angeles and Chicago in entrenched gang areas (Horowitz, 1983; Moore, 1991) found that gang members remained in gangs for a longer period of time and that the decision to leave a gang is more complicated. The ability and willingness of individuals to leave gangs appears to be related to factors such as the longevity of an individual’s participation in the gang, and how established and severe the level of gang activity is in the community. Even short-term gang involvement can have long-term effects, including increased participation in crime, school problems, decreased employment prospects, exposure/involvement with drug and alcohol use/abuse, and increased risk of victimization. As early as 1927, researcher Frederick Thrasher noted that participation in gangs reduces the gang member’s connections to other mainstream social pursuits: “. . . his conception of his role is more vivid with reference to his gang than to other social groups. Since he lives largely in the present, he conceives of the part that he is playing in life as being in the gang; his status with other groups is unimportant to him, for the gang is his social world.” (1963/1927; p. 231) This process has been referred to as “knifing off” (Moffitt, 1993), as the gang member cuts ties to other important social groups and organizations such as family, friends, schools, and religious community to focus more intensively on gang participation and identity, leading to higher levels of delinquency. Research conducted with 6th- to 9th-grade students in 15 schools with reported gang problems found that “the onset of gang membership was associated with an 82 percent increase in delinquency frequency.” (Melde and Esbensen, 2011, p. 535) As a gang member is pushed/pulled into the gang, the experience of gang membership further separates him from successful participation in mainstream society, worsening the social conditions he experiences, and escalating his involvement in crime. Long-term gang membership is associated with an escalating succession of effects such as dropping out of school, increased risk of teen fatherhood/pregnancy, and lack of employment success (Thornberry, et al., 2003; Thornberry, et al., 2004). The longer an individual is involved in gangs, the more severe the effect becomes, and the greater the distance between the gang member and the mainstream. Details: Tallahassee, FL: National Gang Center, Institute for Intergovernmental Research, 2013. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: National Gang Center Bulletin, No. 8: Accessed July 9, 2013 at: http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/Getting-Out-Staying-Out.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/Getting-Out-Staying-Out.pdf Shelf Number: 129330 Keywords: DesistanceGangs (U.S.)Intervention Programs |
Author: Straub, Christina Title: Evaluation Report: Embedding RESTORE into the fabric of YOI Ashfield - Qualitative analysis of impact and effectiveness - Summary: Ashfield HMP & YOI is a managed Young Offenders Institution caring for 400 male juveniles aged 15-18 years. Interventions are designed around the needs of the individual, with an emphasis on drugs and alcohol as well as violence and anger management. Over the last two years the most significant change in the make-up of the prisoner population at YOI Ashfield was the increase in offences of violent crime often involving weapons. Gang affiliation was closely related to this. Since previous work of the Forgiveness Project in the establishment had been very effective in the prevention of violence, further cooperation was sought by the prison. Funding granted through the Home Office's CAGGK (Communities Against Guns, Gangs & Knives Crime) Fund made this possible. As a result the RESTORE programme operated at Ashfield YOI for two years (July 2011 - March 2013) with support from the CAGGK fund. As well as working towards implementing the above named practical outcomes, the work also focused on developing an in-depth approach to further embed RESTORE in the fabric of the prison. Further funding was received in 2013 to undertake a qualitative evaluation looking at the impact and effectiveness of the RESTORE programme in a broader sense. Data gathered throughout the 2-year implementation period at YOI Ashfield has been analysed3 to provide an in-depth insight into the way this intervention operated, how it affected participants, and where its key strengths lay. Details: London: The Forgiveness Project, 2013. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 16, 2014 at Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://theforgivenessproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Evaluation-Report-YOI-Ashfield.pdf Shelf Number: 131774 Keywords: Intervention ProgramsJuvenile DetentionJuvenile OffendersYoung Male Offenders |
Author: Cook, Philip J. Title: The (Surprising) Efficacy of Academic and Behavioral Intervention with Disadvantaged Youth: Results from a Randomized Experiment in Chicago Summary: There is growing concern that improving the academic skills of disadvantaged youth is too difficult and costly, so policymakers should instead focus either on vocationally oriented instruction for teens or else on early childhood education. Yet this conclusion may be premature given that so few previous interventions have targeted a potential fundamental barrier to school success: "mismatch" between what schools deliver and the needs of disadvantaged youth who have fallen behind in their academic or non-academic development. This paper reports on a randomized controlled trial of a two-pronged intervention that provides disadvantaged youth with non-academic supports that try to teach youth social-cognitive skills based on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and intensive individualized academic remediation. The study sample consists of 106 male 9th and 10th graders in a public high school on the south side of Chicago, of whom 95% are black and 99% are free or reduced price lunch eligible. Participation increased math test scores by 0.65 of a control group standard deviation (SD) and 0.48 SD in the national distribution, increased math grades by 0.67 SD, and seems to have increased expected graduation rates by 14 percentage points (46%). While some questions remain about the intervention, given these effects and a cost per participant of around $4,400 (with a range of $3,000 to $6,000), this intervention seems to yield larger gains in adolescent outcomes per dollar spent than many other intervention strategies. Details: Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2014. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: NBER Working Paper Series; Working Paper 19862: Accessed January 27, 2014 at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w19862.pdf?new_window=1 Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w19862.pdf?new_window=1 Shelf Number: 131801 Keywords: Cognitive Behavioral TherapyDelinquency PreventionDisadvantaged YouthEducationIntervention ProgramsYouth-At-Risk |
Author: Migliore, Connie Title: Intervention Orders and the Intervention Response Model Report 1. Process Evaluation Summary: On 9 December 2011, the new Intervention Orders (Prevention of Abuse) Act 2009 commenced in South Australia and reformed existing laws for the restraint of domestic and personal violence. In particular, the new Act repeals the Domestic Violence Act 1994 and parts of the Summary Procedure Act 1921. The new Act provides police and courts powers to issue intervention orders to protect people from abuse. Key features of the new Act include: - Broader definitions of abuse and domestic relationships; - Improved police powers to intervene; - Special arrangements for victims and witnesses in court; - Notification requirements to relevant public sector agencies; and, - The ability to mandate a defendant to take part in an intervention program. The associated IRM has been developed as a mandatory referral pathway for suitable defendants. It consists of a 24-week group program aimed at stopping domestic violence, and a complementary support service for the partners or ex-partners of program participants. The Office of Crime Statistics and Research has been contracted by the Attorney-General's Department to evaluate the implementation and operation of intervention orders and the IRM. The evaluation is being conducted in three phases over a two-year period from June 2012 to June 2014. This document provides the results of the first phase. It is based on the first nine months of operation of the initiative, and includes: - A description of the number and type of orders issued; - A description of IRM throughput and operation; - A description of the characteristics of defendants and protected persons; and, - A summary of whether or not the model is operating as intended, including any barriers to successful implementation or operation. The report is based on quantitative data collected by relevant agencies, and qualitative data collected from interviews with key stakeholders, intervention order defendants, and protected persons. Details: Adelaide: South Australian Attorney-General's Department, 2013. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 5, 2015 at: http://www.ocsar.sa.gov.au/docs/evaluation_reports/Intervention_Order_Evaluation_Report_1.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ocsar.sa.gov.au/docs/evaluation_reports/Intervention_Order_Evaluation_Report_1.pdf Shelf Number: 136704 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceIntervention ProgramsProtection Orders |
Author: Centre for Effective Services Title: EITP Workstream 2 Parenting Programmes Review Summary: The Early Intervention Transformation Programme (EITP) is a Northern Ireland Executive/Atlantic Philanthropies Delivering Social Change Signature Programme, funded jointly by the Delivering Social Change fund, DoH, DE, DoJ, DfC, DfE and The Atlantic Philanthropies. EITP aims to improve outcomes for children and young people across Northern Ireland through embedding early intervention approaches. This report was produced for the Early Intervention Transformation Programme and funded by Atlantic Philanthropies. This report is primarily intended to inform the decision making relating to the development of the Early Intervention Transformation Programme projects. The Centre for Effective Services (CES) was asked to provide independent support to the Public Health Agency (PHA) in developing a core suite of parenting support programmes that could be implemented across Northern Ireland as a priority for investment, and to assess the readiness of Northern Ireland to implement these programmes. This report was initially intended to inform the development of this piece of work following discussion with the Workstream 2 working group. It was not originally intended for general circulation. The requirement was to develop a list of circa 10 recommended Parenting Programmes from the antenatal period to age 18. Our approach was to summarise the needs of children and families in Northern Ireland, provide an overview of current service provision of parenting support and compile preliminary information about the implementation of evidence based parenting programmes across the region. Given the scope of the exercise, it was not proposed to undertake a full audit of service provision and consequently there may be some errors and omissions. A separate document has also been produced which provides useful information for commissioning on each programme. Each programme has a one page summary which describes information such as the level of evidence, delivery setting, programme description, client group, outcomes, implementation cost and cost effectiveness where available, name of programme developer, references and a link for further information. It is available upon request. A discussion was held with the Workstream 2 working group on 31st October 2014 on the parenting programmes and how best to take this piece of work forward. Following this, work continued to develop a list of 'preferred' programmes or approaches and rate these using a RAG assessment of the degree to which Northern Ireland is ready to implement them. Details: Belfast: The Centre, 2014. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2017 at: http://www.cypsp.hscni.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Workstream2_EITP_Parenting_Programme_Review_CES_Dec14.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cypsp.hscni.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Workstream2_EITP_Parenting_Programme_Review_CES_Dec14.pdf Shelf Number: 141172 Keywords: At-Risk ChildrenEvidence-Based ProgramsIntervention ProgramsParenting Programs |
Author: Laliberte, D. Title: Evaluation Summary of the Atlantic Youth Inclusion Program Summary: The Youth Inclusion Program (YIP) is a geographically based program aimed at reducing crime in specific neighbourhoods with high rates of crime by targeting 50 youth aged 13-16 who are most at risk of offending. This complex and intensive program is based on individualized action plans developed for each youth and targets specific risk factors. Youth are expected to receive approximately 10 hours of intervention per week (500 hours per year), including a combination of one-on-one case management sessions, and group activities such as life skills training, mentoring, recreation, tutoring, youth support and parent/guardian support. In addition, the program connects participants to external community resources. Specifically, YIP aims to increase protective factors, school attendance and school performance, while decreasing risk factors, youth offending and the number of youth in the criminal justice system. Three YIP projects implemented in the Atlantic region with funding from PS participated in an impact evaluation conducted by a contractor hired by Public Safety. These include: Northside YIP in North Sydney, Nova Scotia (January 2010 - June 2013); Seeds of Change YIP in Spryfield, Nova Scotia (September 2010 - November 2012) and ONE Change YIP in St. John, New Brunswick (April 2010 - January 2014) . Public Safety funded this evaluation study for the amount of $427,534.00 (between August 2010 and March 2014). Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2015. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 29, 2017 at: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/sp-ps/PS113-1-2015-47-eng.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Canada URL: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/sp-ps/PS113-1-2015-47-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 144617 Keywords: At-Risk Youth Cost-Benefit Analysis Delinquency Prevention Intervention ProgramsNeighborhoods and Crime |
Author: Pierce, Barbara Title: Roca's High Risk Youth Intervention Model: Initial Implementation Evaluation Report Summary: It is estimated that 15 percent of the population between ages 16 and 24 is disconnected. While there are some variations in the definition of this concept, there appears to be some general agreement that disconnected youth are those young people between 16 and 24 who are not in school and not employed (others have added that they are also not married). The United States Government Accountability Office defines disconnected youth as "youth aged 14 to 24 who are not in school and not working, or who lack family or other support networks." A longitudinal study by MaCurdy et. al. using National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth show that 93 percent of those who disconnect for the first time reconnect within three years. This is promising except that subsequent disconnection episodes are likely, particularly among youth in disadvantaged families. More than 16 percent of males disconnect again in a year, 33 percent in 2 years, and 44 percent within three years. The figures for young women show that one in ten disconnects a second time by the one year mark, one quarter by the end of two years and a third by year three. It is clear that longer term interventions are needed for those most at risk. The greatest concern is for those young people who are disconnected for extended periods of time. It is this group which in adulthood is more likely to have lower incomes, no health insurance, difficulty obtaining and retaining employment, and to contribute to increased crime rates and a greater number of children living in poverty. In addition, young women who remain disconnected for three or more years are more likely to receive public assistance in adulthood.6 While it has been determined that young people who "participated in some sort of job training, job search, or school‐to‐work program during their high school years were less likely to experience disconnection than youth who did not participate in this type of program," we know that there are many young people who will not and do not participate in such programs even when available. In a July 2009 article published in Child Trends, Hail et. al. suggest that recruiting and holding on to this group, the group which does not participate, may "require stronger and more persistent outreach, more intensives services, and more long‐term participation." Roca, Inc., a community‐based organization in Chelsea, Massachusetts has developed a High Risk Youth Intervention Model to address the issues discussed above. It serves the areas of Chelsea, Revere, and East Boston, Massachusetts, and surrounding communities, in which the risk factors for disconnection occur in relatively high concentrations. The risk factors related to disconnection include family poverty level, single‐ parent homes or young people not living with either parent, parental unemployment, lower educational achievement of parents and welfare receipt. Three‐quarters of Roca's participants live in the cities of Chelsea and Revere. Twenty‐four percent of Chelsea residents had incomes below poverty level (compared with 10% statewide); Revere's rate is 11 percent. In the first quarter of 2009, Both Chelsea and Revere had higher unemployment rates than Massachusetts as a whole. Forty‐one percent of Chelsea's residents have less than a high school education; the figure for Revere is 23 percent (compared with 15% statewide).12 Roca purposely seeks out those young people who do not and will not participate in school or other community programs which may prevent or repair disconnection. Roca recognizes that the young people are not participating and engages them in relationships designed to work with them over the course of up to five years so that they can benefit from life skills, educational, and employment programming. They outreach to these young people multiple times per week each week not only for recruitment but to retain them and support them until they are sustaining reconnections to education and employment. In addition to targeting disconnected youth, Roca targets disengaged youth, those still in school, but who are on the verge of dropping out, and refugees, immigrants and others who are only tenuously connected to educational and social institutions. It is engagement with these institutions that assist a young person along the pathway to productive adulthood. Wald and Martinez estimate that 20 of every 100 youth are at risk before age 25, "yet, only five to seven percent will reach age 25 without connecting in a meaningful way to employment and social support systems." It is the five to seven percent with whom Roca works. This report provides a brief history of Roca and where Roca is today. Next there is an overview of the core components of the High Risk Youth Intervention Model and a description of the evaluation of the model. The initial, descriptive implementation evaluation findings follow and are organized according to the logic model. First is a description of the inputs or resources necessary for the implementation of the intervention model. Next is a description of both the organizational level and client level strategies. Lastly is a brief overview of next steps for the implementation and impact evaluation of the High Risk Youth Intervention Model. Details: Boston: Crime and Justice Institute, 2009. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October October 13, 2017 at: http://www.socialimpactexchange.org/files/Roca_Interim_Implementation_Evaluation_Rpt_Dec09.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.socialimpactexchange.org/files/Roca_Interim_Implementation_Evaluation_Rpt_Dec09.pdf Shelf Number: 147681 Keywords: At-Risk YouthDisadvantaged youthDisconnected YouthIntervention ProgramsYoung Adult Offenders |
Author: Perkins, Derek Title: Interventions for perpetrators of online child sexual exploitation: a scoping review and gap analysis Summary: Technology has become a primary medium for child sexual abuse and exploitation. Like offline behaviour, technology-facilitated abuse and exploitation can take many forms, such as the recording of the sexual assault of a child or communicating with a child via mobile devices. Online and offline spaces are not always clearly distinguishable: abuse and exploitation can start in one space and move to the other. In this report, we describe sexually abusive activities towards a child or young person as 'online child sexual abuse' (OCSA) - or, where there are gains beyond sexual gratification, 'online child sexual exploitation' (OCSE) - if they are carried out via technology. Various interventions for perpetrators of OCSA and OCSE are available, ranging from one-toone sessions to manualised treatment groups. Little is known about the effectiveness of existing interventions, and whether there are gaps in the current intervention response. To improve knowledge of treatment in these areas, this scoping review obtained information from three sources: - online searches - a literature review and enquiries to service providers in relation to existing interventions - an online survey of experts and stakeholders - in-depth interviews drawn from the survey participants. These yielded information about the different interventions currently provided for perpetrators of OCSA/E, their effectiveness (where known), gaps within current interventions, and forthcoming challenges in the field. Key messages from the research Lack of evaluation and research Law enforcement, offender management and child protection services have had to be responsive to the urgent and growing issue of OCSA/E, despite limited evidence on the underlying psychological models of OCSA/E behaviour. Responding to need has, understandably, outrun the collection of scientific evidence, and there has been a lack of systematic evaluation of interventions' effectiveness. Sense of being overwhelmed Whilst professionals involved in this area felt strongly about the positive impact of their work, they also communicated a sense of feeling overwhelmed with regard to the high numbers of OCSA/E perpetrators, the lack of funding available for their services, and the need for specific training for professionals involved in this area. Need to increase knowledge generation and exchange Professionals expressed a desire for enhanced knowledge generation and exchange, especially with regard to increasing the empirical knowledge base on the risks and needs presented by the perpetrators of OCSA/E, and the lack of professional tools to assist with decision-making regarding risk and treatment. Enhance existing intervention response Interventions for perpetrators of OCSA/E remain limited and are largely similar in their client focus, scope and funding approach. They predominantly focus on psychoeducation and addressing psychological markers of offending behaviour, are provided for adult males known to the criminal justice system, and are paid for by the client or as part of court-ordered or mandatory interventions. Early intervention focus The scoping review also identified a demand for a shift towards preventative approaches - to increase public awareness and targeted at young people through educational resources. Sex education, including internet safety and pornography use, was highlighted by professionals as needing to be an integral part of the school curriculum. Professionals also discussed the implications of providing interventions for OCSA/E perpetrators not known to the criminal justice system, and for non-offending individuals who may be concerned about their sexual interest. Characteristics of existing interventions Online offending has become a focus in interventions provided for people with a sexual conviction and their victims. This scoping review identified 48 services or agencies that contribute to interventions for OCSA/E offending by providing interventions themselves, commissioning or conducting relevant research, and providing knowledge exchange events for professionals. This included eight UK-based services that directly provide interventions for perpetrators of OCSA/E. Most interventions are focused on adult male perpetrators (predominantly those known to the criminal justice system), with limited support provided for adolescents, female perpetrators, or the perpetrator's support network such as family members or friends. The reviewed intervention services typically provide psychological assessments and individual or group treatment. A key difference between UK and some international providers is the ability of the latter to work with perpetrators without the requirement for statutory disclosure to the criminal justice system on matters that would require disclosure in the UK (for example in respect of specific information on past unprosecuted offences). Quality control in relation to the provided interventions is variable. The empirical research on which they are based is not always up to date or specific to the offender subgroup. Service evaluations mainly comprise qualitative feedback from service users rather than more multifaceted pre-post treatment assessments. Implications from the research The scoping review highlighted a number of areas for future development and professional practice: - Intervene earlier and more broadly. This includes offence-prevention strategies such as public education about the nature of OCSA/E and their legal classification, enhancing service provisions for nonoffending individuals attracted to children, and reducing access to sexually exploitative material of children and young people. - Enhance the treatment response for (known) offenders. This may include expanding the existing client target group, increasing accessibility of services and increasing staff support. It may also include staying up to date on emergent issues in the field, such as new opportunities for OCSA/E arising with novel technologies. - Generate and share knowledge. This may include OCSA/E-specific training for professionals working in the field, support for research engagement, and knowledge exchange and collaboration between professionals and partner agencies. A key research need is to conduct systematic intervention evaluations. Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 5: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%205%20-%20Interventions%20for%20perpetrators%20of%20online%20CSE.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%205%20-%20Interventions%20for%20perpetrators%20of%20online%20CSE.pdf Shelf Number: 149208 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesIntervention ProgramsSex Offender TreatmentSex OffendersSocial Media |
Author: Walker, Kate Title: Characteristics and perspectives of adults who have sexually exploited children: Scoping research Summary: There is a lack of information about individuals who perpetrate child sexual exploitation (CSE) offences. This report describes one of three research projects commissioned by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse to build an evidence base about this population. The projects' aims were to: ‣ investigate the characteristics of those who commit CSE ‣ identify the nature and dynamics of their behaviours, their motivations and the way they target and exploit their victims. The report will be of interest to frontline practitioners, service providers, commissioners of services, policy makers, researchers and academics. Method Notes from police intelligence briefings with 27 perpetrators of CSE were analysed, using content analysis to extract demographic information about CSE perpetrators. Additionally, interviews were undertaken with 18 adults who had sexually offended against children; using the current (2017) Government definition of CSE for England, these 18 adults were classified as either CSE perpetrators (n = 11) or Non-CSE perpetrators (n = 7). Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data, to identify common themes that captured the characteristics and motivations of CSE perpetrators. Key findings and gaps in research knowledge ‣ There has been little research to date that has specifically examined the characteristics, context and motivations of CSE perpetrators. ‣ It is difficult to identify CSE perpetrators, since most sexual offences are not specific to CSE and individuals who have committed CSE offences have not been categorised as such in the criminal justice system process. This makes it difficult to conduct research with this group. ‣ Adults in this sample who had committed CSE offences had experienced dysfunctional lives. They evidenced individual internal characteristics, such as mental health problems, low self-esteem and antisocial attributes. ‣ Many excessively used adult pornography and/or images that depicted children. ‣ Negative external influences were also present in their relationships and environments. These included chaotic intimate relationships, poor relationships with family members and peers, and violence and abusive relationships at home and school. ‣ Individuals believed that their offending was associated with a culmination of all the dysfunctional and negative experiences in their lives, including both internal and external influences. ‣ Individuals justified and 'explained' their offending behaviours, which enabled them to continue to offend. ‣ Motivation for offending was described as sexual gratification in this exploratory sample. ‣ An ecological framework can be used to understand the complexity and interplay between the individual, relationships, social, cultural and environmental factors associated with CSE. ‣ There are gaps in research knowledge as to whether the factors identified as associated with CSE perpetration are variable risk markers or fixed risk markers and whether these are casual risk factors that could be targeted in interventions. ‣ Little is known about the role and relevance of protective factors which can potentially mitigate perpetration. Implications and recommendations This is a difficult group to research, as they are largely 'hidden' in criminal justice system processes. A complex range of factors are associated with the commission of CSE, which means that there is no simple way of preventing individuals from perpetrating this type of offending. However, the evidence is still limited and we do not have a clear picture of the range of factors that lead to CSE offending, particularly across the wide range of offences that meet the definition of CSE. More research is therefore needed: for example, with a larger, national sample of individuals who have sexually exploited children and a wider range of CSE offences than has been captured in this exploratory study Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 3: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%203%20-%20Characteristics%20and%20perspectives%20of%20adults%20who%20have%20sexually%20exploited%20children.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%203%20-%20Characteristics%20and%20perspectives%20of%20adults%20who%20have%20sexually%20exploited%20children.pdf Shelf Number: 149209 Keywords: Child Pornography Child Sexual Abuse Child Sexual Exploitation Computer Crimes Internet CrimesIntervention Programs Pornography Sex Offender Treatment Sex Offenders Social Media |
Author: Walker, Kate Title: Characteristics and motivations of perpetrators of child sexual exploitation: A rapid evidence assessment of research Summary: There is a lack of information about individuals who perpetrate child sexual exploitation (CSE) offences. This report describes one of three research projects to build an evidence base about this population. The project's aims were to: ‣ investigate the characteristics of those who commit CSE ‣ identify the nature and dynamics of their behaviours, their motivations and the way they target and exploit their victims. The report will be of interest to frontline practitioners, service providers, commissioners of services, policy makers, researchers and academics. Method A rapid review was conducted, finding 50 studies/reports where the offences met the definition of CSE and information could be extracted about perpetrators' characteristics, behaviours, motivations and methods of targeting/exploiting their victims. Key findings and gaps in research knowledge ‣ The majority of studies were conducted in the UK (19) and USA (18), with four conducted in Canada, three in New Zealand, two in France and one in each of Australia, Mexico, Germany and Sweden. It is important to note that some of these studies reviewed and/or combined the findings from a number of published studies, so each study's findings were not necessarily specific to its country of origin. ‣ The majority (37) of studies were of offenders who have committed exclusively online CSE offences, with only 10 examining non-online CSE offences and three covering both online and 'offline' offences; very limited knowledge was obtained regarding other types of CSE, such as CSE perpetrated within groups and gangs; offences such as human trafficking for, or resulting in, sexual exploitation; and the purchasing of sexual contact. This limits the extent to which the review's findings and observations can be generalised. ‣ Across the studies there were many methodological limitations such as inconsistencies in the definition of CSE, comparisons between groups of sexual offenders only (with a lack of other offender or non-offender control groups), lack of typical or normative data comparisons, and reliance on correlational data. These limit the potential to draw conclusions about causal influences. ‣ Perpetrators were generally identified as male, white and aged between 18 and 85 years (with the average age in individual studies ranging from 30 to 46 years); a high proportion were employed, with a large number of these in professional jobs. ‣ Mental health characteristics and psychological characteristics (personality traits) were examined only in relation to online CSE offences, and no research examined them in relation to other forms of CSE, e.g. CSE perpetrated in gangs or groups. ‣ In relation to online CSE, owing to methodological challenges and insufficient research it is impossible to isolate specific mental health or psychological characteristics that have a causal relationship with this type of offence. However, factors such as depression, anxiety, stress and suicidal ideation are most likely to be relevant. ‣ The evidence is weaker for psychological characteristics being associated with CSE; however, some attachment styles (e.g. not securely attached, fearful attachment) were associated with this group, and the formation of relationships appeared to be problematic. ‣ There was limited research that identified the motivations of CSE perpetrators; the studies that did so were generally those looking to develop typologies and categories of online offenders. The two key motivations found were sexual and financial. ‣ There was no research that specifically identified the way that perpetrators targeted/ exploited their victims, beyond explaining the context within which the exploitation occurred (i.e. online exploitation, gangs or trafficking/commercial dealings). It may be that such information could be located within the literature on victim-survivors, but including and analysing research on victim-survivors was beyond the scope of the current review. Implications and recommendations There is very little reliable information about the characteristics of individuals who perpetrate CSE offences, particularly those who do not commit offences in or using online environments. This significantly limits our ability to identify potential offenders and situations to target and design prevention strategies. More research is required to fully understand the characteristics and motivations of CSE perpetrators. That research will need to: ‣ have consistency and clarity regarding the definition of this type of offending and the different contexts within which it occurs ‣ use methodological research designs that allow differences and causal pathways to be reliably identified - for example, including appropriate non-offender control groups, longitudinal methods and large sample sizes (although this may be unrealistic, as studies are generally based on small, convicted samples by necessity) Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 2: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%202%20-%20Characteristics%20and%20motivations%20of%20perpetrators%20of%20CSE.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%202%20-%20Characteristics%20and%20motivations%20of%20perpetrators%20of%20CSE.pdf Shelf Number: 149210 Keywords: Child Pornography Child Sexual Abuse Child Sexual Exploitation Computer Crimes Internet Crimes Intervention Programs Pornography Sex Offender Treatment Sex Offenders Social Media |
Author: Hackett, Simon Title: Young people who engage in child sexual exploitation behaviours: An exploratory study Summary: Despite increasing awareness of child sexual exploitation (CSE) across the UK in recent years, there remain gaps in current knowledge and understanding - including in relation to young people who perpetrate acts of CSE. In contrast to the wider research base for harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) in childhood and adolescence, which has developed significantly in recent years, there is little in the literature specifically on the topic of young people who engage in sexually exploitative behaviours. This report describes one of three research projects commissioned by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse to build an evidence base about perpetrators of CSE. The project aimed to investigate: - the backgrounds of young people identifi ed for CSE concerns as perpetrators - the nature and range of their sexual behaviours - the range of victims targeted - other off ending behaviours displayed by the young people. Method Anonymised data was obtained from electronic records held by a police-led, multiagency initiative which focuses on CSE and on missing children. Consisting of 14 cases, the data are a convenience and non-probability sample which represent a significant minority of the cases becoming known to this 'CSE team' over a 24- month period where an alleged perpetrator was under the age of 18 at the point of their harmful or exploitative sexual behaviours. This study therefore drew only on existing secondary data already available to the CSE team; it was beyond the study's scope to conduct interviews with professionals involved in the cases, or with the young people and their families directly. The electronic records contained considerable and detailed information compiled by a wide range of agencies over a substantial period of time. Key fi ndings Because of the small sample size and the reliance on official case records which may be partial and limited, the following findings should be regarded as at best indicative. - All young people in the sample were male and white British. - Their current age ranged between 14 and 21 years old, with the overwhelming majority aged over 16; this is an older sample than many reported in the literature on HSB. Their age at the point when concerning sexual behaviours fi rst emerged ranged from 7 to 18 years old; in contrast to other demographic studies of young people with HSB, which have indicated substantial early-onset trajectories, only one case indicated a pattern of pre-adolescent sexual behaviour problems. - Experiences of adversity were found in the developmental histories of 10 of the 14 young people. The most commonly reported factor was domestic violence, followed by physical and sexual abuse and neglect. Previous studies of young people with HSB have reported higher rates of previous victimisation. - Twelve of the young people had longstanding non-sexual off ending histories: theft, burglary, criminal damage and general antisocial behaviours were extensive and pervasive. All the young people appear to fi t the 'generalist' category of HSB off ender, whose sexual off ending appears to be more directed towards peers as part of a broader catalogue of deviance and non-sexual off ending trajectories. - A model proposed by Ward and Siegert (2002) describes fi ve primary developmental pathways leading into sexually abusive behaviours. Many of the young people in the sample appear to fi t into the antisocial thinking pathway, where an underlying propensity towards general deviance and antisocial behaviour becomes sexualised during puberty. - In all cases, the concerns about young people's sexual behaviours related to a young person off ending alone or to pairs of young people whose behaviours appeared interlinked and inter-infl uenced. There were no 'gang-related' or larger group incidents of HSB or CSE. - Whilst all 14 young people had targeted female victims, only one was known to have sexually off ended against a male (in addition to multiple female victims). HSB towards teenage peers was preceded in only three cases by sexual abuse of prepubescent children. Previous research into young people's HSB has identifi ed signifi cant proportions of male victims and victims aged 10 or below. - The young people were typically involved in multiple and in some cases escalating harmful sexual behaviours: nine engaged in exploitative or harmful sexual behaviours online or using social media, accompanied in most cases by contact sexual exploitation or sexual abuse. There was not strong evidence of a clear progression from online to offl ine HSB: it was just as likely for offl ine HSB to precede online behaviours. Implications and recommendations The impression gained from this pilot study is of young people who engage in CSE behaviours as a generally very deviant group whose sexual and non-sexual behaviours are disinhibited, chaotic and non-boundaried. The small scale of this study, and the use of data from one team with a particular focus and operating model, limits the conclusions that can be drawn; nevertheless, the study's tentative findings should be investigated in more detail. In some of the cases examined, it was possible to see a progression from sexual assaults or sexually abusive behaviour without overt elements of exchange towards more 'CSEtype' behaviours over time. It may be that CSE-type behaviours in adolescence, much more so than more general HSB, are more strongly related to general deviance than a history of sexual victimisation; if so, this has significant implications for both intervention approaches and prevention activities. However, it was difficult to separate the young people's behaviours meaningfully and neatly into categories of CSE and HSB. Whilst all cases fitted widely used definitions of HSB, the extent to which they are accompanied by overt elements of exchange (as would fit the definition of CSE) was much less clear in many cases. The sexual behaviours of all the young people in the sample required disruption, management and intervention - but it is unclear whether that should be undertaken by a CSE team or an HSB team. This perhaps reflects the present inadequacy of using distinct sets of language and concepts (CSE and HSB) and service frameworks to respond to the problem of transgressive sexual behaviour in adolescence. Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 1: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%201%20-%20Young%20people%20who%20engage%20in%20CSE%20behaviours.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%201%20-%20Young%20people%20who%20engage%20in%20CSE%20behaviours.pdf Shelf Number: 149211 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sex OffendersChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesIntervention ProgramsSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: Kaur, Kam Title: Local commissioning of services addressing child sexual abuse and exploitation in England Summary: On behalf of the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse, Cordis Bright undertook an independent review in spring 2017 of how child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSA/CSE) services were commissioned in five local areas in England. The review sought to clarify local approaches developed through local authorities, health and wellbeing boards, Offices of the Police and Crime Commissioners (OPCCs), NHS England and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). It aimed to identify challenges, weaknesses and strengths in current local commissioning which might be of broader interest. Commissioners' views were also sought on the support they were looking for, including how the Centre of expertise might help. Following a review of the literature, Cordis Bright conducted interviews with 30 commissioners, commissioning partners, service providers and local practitioner experts across the five local areas. In view of the link with CSA/CSE, harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) was included in the review as it progressed. Limitations The review was a rapid research exercise informed by evidence from five sites. Whilst these sites provide a degree of diversity, the findings will not fully reflect experiences in all locations in England, and do not incorporate experiences in Wales. The findings reflect a point in time (spring 2017) and should be considered with reference to emerging developments which may influence change, such as the impending release by the NHS of its strategy on sexual abuse. The review focused on local commissioning and does not provide direct insight into centralised commissioning processes. However, some of its findings may be useful to decision-makers in that context. Findings The findings, drawn from the interviews, are summarised thematically here. A key caveat to the findings is the fact that the fieldwork was limited to five local authority areas in England. A theme underpinning many of the findings, and reported in all five areas, is the impact of the current economic climate on local service provision. Stakeholders reported that local commissioners' budgets are diminishing, as is the independently generated income of voluntary and community sector (VCS) service providers. Commissioning challenges Local commissioners were said to face a number of common challenges: - The high profile accorded to CSE by central government has been beneficial, but has not yet been extended to CSA and HSB. - Whilst CSE service commissioning practice appear well-developed, CSA and HSB services are not commissioned (or delivered in-house) with the same transparency and robustness. - The use of short-term contracts (usually lasting three years) limits VCS partnership/investment opportunities. - Good commissioning partnerships (with other commissioners or the VCS) will require a significant amount of investment to develop and maintain. - Cuts to commissioning teams limit the scope and quality of commissioning activity. - There needs to be more detail on CSA/CSE and HSB, including online elements of abuse, in local population needs assessments. - Health bodies and schools are not always seen by others as engaged as full partners in the commissioning of local CSA/CSE and HSB services. - There is no quality assurance framework to ensure that schools have appropriate safeguarding care pathways or commissioned CSA/CSE/HSB response services. - There is no consensus on good outcomes measurement - in particular focusing on 'distance travelled' for an individual (emotional wellbeing, improvement in relationship with family and friends, access to positive alternative activities and engagement in learning) - for CSA/CSE and HSB services. Stakeholders wanted: - CSA and HSB to be included in CSE commissioning governance, reported as usually being overseen by the Director of Children's Services and a local safeguarding children board (LSCB) subgroup - mental health trusts to have in place governance and partnership arrangements focusing on CSA/ CSE recovery - more focus from the OPCCs on children and young people, including funding for the vital role of sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) - all areas to have an explicit, integrated CSA, CSE and HSB strategy - national CSA/CSE and HSB commissioning guidance which minimises contract-monitoring activity. Gaps in commissioned services Local areas expressed concerns including the following: - There has been a significant reduction in prevention services for CSE and HSB. More investment is required from schools, public health budgets and CCGs. - There has not been any CSA prevention work. - There has been a significant reduction in school nursing services. Nurses have been a key contact for identification/disclosure of CSA/CSE. - Responding to online abuse needs to be included in local CSA/CSE and HSB services. - The regionalisation of the SARCs may be supported on medical grounds, but has increased travel time for children and young people. Additionally, more follow-up counselling support sessions funded through SARCs are needed. - There is a significant shortfall in follow-up or recovery services for children who have experienced CSA/CSE and/or HSB. Where budgets are not protected for existing services, the services risk losing the flexibility needed for victims to disclose and recover. - Transition from children's to adults' services is difficult for survivors of CSA and CSE. - The volume of HSB is growing, but services are reducing. Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/research-publications/local-commissioning-of-services-addressing-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-in-england/local-commissioning-of-services-addressing-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-in-england/ Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/research-publications/local-commissioning-of-services-addressing-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-in-england/local-commissioning-of-services-addressing-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-in-en Shelf Number: 149216 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesIntervention ProgramsSex Offender TreatmentSex OffendersSexual Assault |
Author: Waddell, Stephanie Title: Intervening Early to Prevent Gang and Youth Violence: The Role of Primary Schools Summary: This report explores the extent to which young children at risk of gang involvement or youth violence are supported through evidence-based early intervention, particularly within primary schools. It draws on qualitative interviews with schools, local government officials, police and voluntary sector organisations within the London boroughs of Lambeth and Wandsworth, and builds on earlier EIF research which indicates that risk factors for gang involvement and youth violence can be spotted as early as age seven. Our research paints a picture of primary school staff who know their children and local families well, and who go above and beyond to try to provide strong, positive role models and to support children's emotional wellbeing. However, there is also a strong sense that some school staff are intensely frustrated and feel unsupported in their efforts to work with vulnerable children. Some staff expressed anger and sadness as they told us that they feel unable to change children's outcomes in spite of their best efforts. The school staff and stakeholders we spoke to identified a range of concerns, including: the lack of a clear or shared understanding of the level of risk within a school a lack of clarity or confidence in identifying and accessing statutory and other services beyond the school walls a limited awareness of the range and quality of external support that is available to schools, and little evaluation of the external support that is commissioned the pressure on schools to focus on academic performance to the exclusion of children's wellbeing, a challenge which is often exacerbated in schools located in areas where the risk of gang and youth violence is likely to be higher. Our recommendations concentrate on four areas: improving the use of evidence in commissioning in-school support and programmes, including by providing improved information to schools and by calling on funders and commissioners at the national or regional level to make evidence-based decisions increasing the emphasis on and time available for developing children's social and emotional skills in primary schools, including by making PSHE compulsory in all schools and by requiring Ofsted to consider how well schools are supporting children's wellbeing alongside the academic performance improving the links between schools and the wider early help system in their area, so that school staff are clear about the options that are open to them and confident that referrals will result in support for children and families examining how the police can most effectively work within primary schools to help prevent gang and youth violence. This report is the first output of a three-year project that will explore and support the testing of evidence-informed approaches to early intervention to prevent gang involvement and youth violence. We will be working with the local authorities, police, participating schools and providers in Lambeth and Wandsworth over the next two years, with a view to co-designing, implementing and testing new approaches to preventing gang and youth violence through effective early intervention. Details: London: Early Intervention Foundation, 2018. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2018 at: http://www.eif.org.uk/publication/intervening-early-to-prevent-gang-and-youth-violence-the-role-of-primary-schools/ Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.eif.org.uk/publication/intervening-early-to-prevent-gang-and-youth-violence-the-role-of-primary-schools/ Shelf Number: 150036 Keywords: Delinquency PreventionGangsIntervention ProgramsSchool-Based ProgramsYouth Violence |
Author: Children's Commissioner for England Title: Forging futures through mentoring: A risk worth pursuing? Summary: Approaches involving mentoring are increasingly popular in England as initiatives to support young people (Hooley 2016). However, to date there has been limited evidence available as to mentoring's effectiveness and the characteristics of good practice. This is particularly the case in relation to vulnerable young people, such as those in care. In 2005 the Social Exclusion Unit argued that the evidence base demonstrating that mentoring benefits vulnerable young people 'is patchy and inconclusive', while in 2007 a review of the evidence on mentoring conducted by the UK's Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (MBF) (Philip & Spratt 2007) found the evidence base on the value of mentoring to be, at best, mixed. In the intervening decade, mentoring has remained popular as an intervention for young people in the UK. At the same time, empirical studies of the impact of mentoring have also become more widespread and better-developed, although the evidence of its impact on vulnerable young people is still mixed. This report shines a light on the current state of mentoring provision in England and asks the following questions: - How widespread is mentoring as an intervention for young people in England? - How widespread is mentoring for vulnerable young people in England? - What outcomes are mentoring programmes attempting to achieve for young people? - What does the evidence suggest about the impact of these mentoring programmes? - How can the Office for the Children's Commissioner best support the sector to maximise the impact that mentoring has on vulnerable young people in particular? The report is not a formal systematic review along the lines of a Cochrane review that collects all published evidence and limits scope to evidence that is very rigorous about establishing clear causal pathways, through randomised control trials and similar methods. We see value in such an approach but the aim here has been to summarise a broad range of evidence to clarify general issues and findings. The report is based on: - Analysis of a sample of over 350 mentoring programmes across England, identified from an online search of mentoring programmes and a national survey of local authorities. - A review of the literature relating to the impact of mentoring-based programmes. - Interviews with sector experts. Our analysis of mentoring programmes offers an overview of mentoring provision in England in 2018, including the extent to which programmes vary by location, type, and groups of young people targeted. Meanwhile, our literature review and expert interviews examine what is known about the potential impact and effectiveness of mentoring, and how this relates to current provision of mentoring programmes in England. This report finds that mentoring is a widely used intervention, used primarily with teenagers in England. Our sample contained a higher proportion of mentoring programmes in London than in the rest of the country, relative to population. There were some regions where we found relatively few mentoring programmes, most notably in the East Midlands and North East of England, though this may be due to survey non-response rather than a genuine absence of mentoring activity. Over half of the programmes in our sample explicitly targeted vulnerable young people. Programmes used a mix of volunteer and paid mentors, and most were community-based rather than school-based. The programmes in our sample held a range of aims. Most often, programmes aimed to support mentees' social and emotional development, although a notable proportion targeted more tangible outcomes such as academic attainment. Many programmes aimed to improve outcomes for mentees across a number of domains. This report also examines the evidence on the effectiveness of mentoring, including for vulnerable young people. It also considers the implications of that evidence for programmes already operating in the England. We find that the evidence supporting positive impact for mentoring is developing, and suggests that overall, there are modest positive effects, albeit with considerable variation both within and between programmes. Vulnerable young people may be particularly well served by mentoring relationships, but at the same time mentoring relationships that end early can have harmful effects for these young people. We identify several features of effective mentoring programmes and relationships, including the duration of relationships, the quality of monitoring and support for mentors and allowing young people themselves to set the agenda. Some features of quality in mentoring relationships also may impact on outcomes, such as closeness, shared interests and role-modelling. While the evidence on effectiveness of mentoring internationally is growing, more work is needed to develop the evidence base for mentoring in England, and to support the plethora of mentoring programmes already running in this country. Resources that summarise the evidence on "what works" should be gathered in one place and made easily available to programmes. We think it is important that mentors and providers of mentoring are aware of the strengths, weaknesses and risks of mentoring. Where possible, programmes should adhere to the central concepts of relationship duration and support for mentors. We see value in a central repository or data base of evidence on what works in mentoring. Further research is required to add to the experimental evidence base on the impact of mentoring programmes in England, while at the same time, more exploratory research will help to fill gaps in the evidence, for example around the quality of mentoring relationships. Programmes should be evaluated as rigorously as possible. Depending on size and budget, programmes should consider being part of RCTs for larger, national-scale projects. Smaller programmes might also seek to partner with research organisations to understand their impact better; and add to the research base for mentoring. Details: London: The Author, 2018. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 8, 2018 at: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Forging-futures-through-mentoring-CCO-April-2018-1.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Forging-futures-through-mentoring-CCO-April-2018-1.pdf Shelf Number: 153368 Keywords: At-Risk Youth Delinquency Prevention Intervention ProgramsJuvenile Offenders Mentoring Youth Mentoring |
Author: Glazzard, Andrew Title: Global Evaluation of the European Union Engagement on Counter-Terrorism Summary: This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the EU's external interventions in counter-terrorism (CT), including preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) carried out in the first semester of 2018. The evaluation does not cover the entirety of the EU's CT interventions, but only those financed by the EU's external instruments. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the relevance, coherence, efficiency and impact of the EU's interventions in order to determine the extent to which the objectives and desired outcomes of the EU's CT policy have so far been achieved. Details: The Hague, Netherlands: International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, 2018. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 9, 2018 at: https://icct.nl/publication/global-evaluation-of-the-european-union-engagement-on-counter-terrorism/ Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://icct.nl/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/eu-ct-evaluation-v7-final.pdf Shelf Number: 153949 Keywords: Countering Terrorism FinancingCountering Violent ExtremismCounterterrorismImpact EvaluationIntervention ProgramsPreventing Violent ExtremismProgram EvaluationViolent Extremism |
Author: Healey, Lucy Title: Invisible Practices: Intervention with Fathers who Use Violence Summary: This project aimed to provide an evidence base for intervening with fathers who use domestic and family violence (DFV), in order to enhance support for women and children living with DFV. The project is a part of ANROWS's Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream. The project delivered an evidence-informed Practice Guide for workers and highlights the need for organisations to undertake systemic change to embed new practice approaches. Structured interventions with men who use violence mostly occur through the criminal justice system and specialist men's behaviour change programs. While other services, such as child protection and family support services, work with fathers who use violence, this work has never been documented or formalised. In other words, to date, this work has been largely "invisible". The project's findings are structured around four themes: - key skills identified for working with fathers who use violence and control; - key factors identified in partnering with women; key skills in ensuring a focus on children and young people; and - the role of organisations and practitioner capacity building. The project built upon earlier ANROWS research, including the PATRICIA (PAThways and Research Into Collaborative Inter-Agency practice) project, which investigated fostering collaboration between child protection and specialist DFV services. The Invisible Practices project also draws on evidence from other existing research, the expertise of practitioners in four states and the technical skills and knowledge of the US-based Safe & Together Institute's consultants David Mandel and Kyle Pinto. Details: New South Wales, Australia: Australia's National Research Organization for Women's Safety, 2018. 148p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 9, 2018 at: https://www.anrows.org.au/node/1307 Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: https://dh2wpaq0gtxwe.cloudfront.net/Healey%20et%20al%20-%20Research%20Report%20-%20Invisible%20Practices.pdf Shelf Number: 153950 Keywords: Abusive MenDomestic ViolenceEvidence-Based InterventionFamily ViolenceFathersGender-Based ViolenceIntervention Programs |